Replay in baseball? Coaches’ challenges in the NFL? Elimination of the two-line pass in hockey? A college football playoff? Oh wait, that last one still hasn’t happened — but the others have been incorporated into their respective sports in the ever-evolving world of athletics.
Basketball may have changed the least of the four major sports, so long as whistle-happy referees don’t count. The game still boils down to putting the ball in the basket, and players still aren’t allowed to foul each other. They have to dribble, and even though NBA players only have 24 seconds to shoot these days, making a basket is still worth a few points (depending on where it’s shot from, of course).
The first basketball game, however, looked a bit different. Back in 1892, the game was played with nine players per team, and the final score was 1-0. It wasn’t until 1897 that standard numbers were established for how many players each team was permitted on the court.
Do you know what that standard number is? Answer this question and more in the latest edition of NESN Trivia by clicking here.
