Basketball

Basketball was invented in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts, as an indoor winter game with a ball and two peach baskets, and spread from school gyms to city courts around the world.

How it is played

Teams score by shooting the ball through a hoop three metres above the floor; players advance by passing or dribbling and may not run holding the ball. Half-court three-on-three, with one basket and a twelve-second shot clock, is the street form and an Olympic event since 2020.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of United States.

Origins

Usually placed in the era of Modern Heritage (1800 to today), although its exact origins are uncertain, within the cultural world of The Americas: North America.