What does basketball mean?

Definitions for basketball
ˈbæs kɪtˌbɔl, ˈbɑ skɪt-bas·ket·ball

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word basketball.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. basketball, basketball game, hoopsnoun

    a game played on a court by two opposing teams of 5 players; points are scored by throwing the ball through an elevated horizontal hoop

  2. basketballnoun

    an inflated ball used in playing basketball

Wiktionary

  1. basketballnoun

    A sport in which two opposing teams of five players strive to put a ball through a hoop.

  2. basketballnoun

    The particular kind of ball used in the sport of basketball.

Wikipedia

  1. Basketball

    Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately 9.4 inches (24 cm) in diameter) through the defender's hoop (a basket 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter mounted 10 feet (3.048 m) high to a backboard at each end of the court), while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own hoop. A field goal is worth two points, unless made from behind the three-point line, when it is worth three. After a foul, timed play stops and the player fouled or designated to shoot a technical foul is given one, two or three one-point free throws. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but if regulation play expires with the score tied, an additional period of play (overtime) is mandated. Players advance the ball by bouncing it while walking or running (dribbling) or by passing it to a teammate, both of which require considerable skill. On offense, players may use a variety of shots – the layup, the jump shot, or a dunk; on defense, they may steal the ball from a dribbler, intercept passes, or block shots; either offense or defense may collect a rebound, that is, a missed shot that bounces from rim or backboard. It is a violation to lift or drag one's pivot foot without dribbling the ball, to carry it, or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling. The five players on each side fall into five playing positions. The tallest player is usually the center, the second-tallest and strongest is the power forward, a slightly shorter but more agile player is the small forward, and the shortest players or the best ball handlers are the shooting guard and the point guard, who implements the coach's game plan by managing the execution of offensive and defensive plays (player positioning). Informally, players may play three-on-three, two-on-two, and one-on-one. Invented in 1891 by Canadian-American gym teacher James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the United States, basketball has evolved to become one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sports. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the most significant professional basketball league in the world in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition. Outside North America, the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as the EuroLeague and the Basketball Champions League Americas. The FIBA Basketball World Cup and Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament are the major international events of the sport and attract top national teams from around the world. Each continent hosts regional competitions for national teams, like EuroBasket and FIBA AmeriCup. The FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup and Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament feature top national teams from continental championships. The main North American league is the WNBA (NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship is also popular), whereas the strongest European clubs participate in the EuroLeague Women.

ChatGPT

  1. basketball

    Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players each try to score points by throwing a ball into a hoop or basket. The game is typically played on a rectangular court with a raised goal at each end. Points are scored by shooting the ball through the hoop, and the team with the most points at the end of the game wins. The sport was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 and is now played at various professional and amateur levels worldwide.

U.S. National Library of Medicine

  1. Basketball

    A competitive team sport played on a rectangular court having a raised basket at each end.

Editors Contribution

  1. basketball

    A type of sport.

    Basketball is a team sport.


    Submitted by MaryC on March 8, 2020  

Suggested Resources

  1. Basketball

    Basket vs. Basketball -- In this Grammar.com article you will learn the differences between the words Basket and Basketball.

How to pronounce basketball?

How to say basketball in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of basketball in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of basketball in Pythagorean Numerology is: 4

Examples of basketball in a Sentence

  1. Draymond Green:

    He's right there getting toward the end of the road or beginning of the road, however you choose to look at it, he has these days from time to time, and I understand it as far as I can understand without going through it. I don't know many people who love basketball the way Klay loves basketball, or love competing the way he loves competing.

  2. Shaquille O'Neal:

    It's just something to have on my resume for when I go back into reality. Someday I might have to put down a basketball and have a regular 9-to-5 like everybody else.

  3. Cleveland Cavaliers:

    Irving's return to basketball activity is projected to be in three to four months and appropriate updates will be issued as Kevin Love moves through the recovery process.

  4. Rebecca Lobo:

    She's proven she has what it takes to be one of the great players at UConn, to be one of the great players in women's college basketball, now, we've got a couple of years to see it unfold. We have many more big moments in this young woman's career, which I expect she will live up to.

  5. Milwaukee Bucks:

    As a team, we started playing good basketball towards the end, maybe we can do it again. Who knows? We’re in a good place. We have a hell of a team.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

basketball#1#2374#10000

Translations for basketball

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"basketball." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/basketball>.

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