The history of Basketball goes back to 1891, when it was first created by a physical fitness professor named James Naismith. He was based at a college in Massachusetts, and came up with the game as a way of keeping his students fit during the long winters of New England.
Originally the balls were dark brown, and covered in stiches and laces. This made them difficult to see and to dribble with, and over time they were replaced with the smooth, orange balls that are used now.
Basketball has, of course, become incredibly popular and is usually played with 5 teammates to a side. The objective is to shoot the ball through a hoop that the opposing squad is guarding, on a 94x50-feet court. There are 4 quarters of 12 minutes each in a match.
The ball is moved by bouncing it while walking or running. Goals are worth 2 points unless they are shot from behind the three-point line, when they count as 3. The side with the most points at the end of the 4th quarter wins, and overtime is mandated if there is a tie at the end of regular play.
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