Of the four major sports, many fans get the most excited about the NBA season. The NBA is made up of many beloved teams, and each one has a number of superstars that we love to watch and root for in every game. This is a league that has had a long history. It started from meager beginnings, and now it’s exploded with the biggest stars being paid hundreds of millions of dollars. You likely know a lot about the league as it stands today, but we have a list of things you probably didn’t know about the NBA and its many stars that have graced the court over the years.
You’ll be amazed at the many different NBA facts on this list. There are facts about the origin of the league when the hoops were peach baskets and the rules were much different. We also have several facts about the most famous players in the league, including the surprising ways that both Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan were drafted. You’ll also read facts about Air Jordan shoes, how soon many players go broke after retirement, which players and teams have dominated the league since the beginning, who has the most MVP awards, and more.
To compile the 18 things you didn’t know about the NBA, 24/7 Tempo scoured the internet and found interesting tidbits from many sources, including Bleacher Report, Sportskeeda, Bovada, and several YouTubers. We tried to find a variety of facts about the NBA and its players, and we think you’ll enjoy it. (If you’re a super fan of all things NBA and want to learn even more, check out this list of the best athletes ever to play basketball.)
Air Jordan Sneakers Were Initially Banned in the NBA
Michael Jordan’s Nike shoes weren’t originally as popular as they are today. One of the earliest designs of the famous Air Jordans in 1985 featured a black-and-red color scheme. Though they looked sharp, the problem was that they conflicted with one of the league rules, which was that all sneakers were supposed to be mostly white. Every time Jordan wore them, he was fined $5,000, but he kept at it. Eventually, the rule was changed, and now almost any sneaker can be worn.
No NBA on Christmas Eve
Though NBA games are played almost every day during the regular season, there’s one day that is usually left basketball-free, and that’s Christmas Eve. There have only been two instances where games were played on Dec. 24, and they occurred in 1960 (Celtics vs. Hawks) and 1967 (Warriors vs. Sonics). Those are the only two games in the league’s 77-year history.
The Lakers and Celtics Dominated the 1980s
During the 1980s, two teams reigned supreme. They were the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. Either team was a participant in all 10 of the NBA Finals during that decade. The teams even faced each other during the ‘84, ‘85, and ‘87 seasons. The Celtics won the first matchup and the Lakers won the second two trophies. Both teams continue to be dominating forces in the league.
There Were Doubleheaders in Basketball
If you like sports in general, then you likely know that sometimes a baseball team will have a doubleheader with two games played during the same day. However, one thing you likely didn’t know about the NBA is that they used to have doubleheaders as well. They were common during the 1960s but after that, they became a thing of the past. It’s hard to imagine how much energy it would take to pull off two games per day in 2024 and beyond, especially when many players are often hurt as it is.
The Inventor of Basketball
Most historians agree that basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith, a physical education teacher in Massachusetts. He worked at the local YMCA, and his boss asked him to create an indoor winter activity. He even wrote the original basketball rule book. The original game was played with two peach baskets and a soccer ball painted black. Every time a basket was made, the referee had to go and collect the ball. In 1900, the nets were added. There was no dribbling back then. Players had to pass the basketball from where they stood.
The First NBA Game
While basketball was around in one form or another for years, the NBA wasn’t founded until 1946. Technically, it began as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). Later, in 1949, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) and became the NBA. The first NBA game was on Nov. 1, 1946, at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto (pictured). The game was between the Toronto Huskies and the New York Knickerbockers. The Knicks won by a score of 68-66. For many years, there were lower-scoring games until the shot clock was introduced in 1954 to increase scoring and speed up the game.
The Highest-Scoring NBA Game
The NBA has some of the most athletic professionals in the world, so it’s not strange to see teams score more than 100 points per game. However, the highest-scoring game will really blow your mind. It was in 1983, between the Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons. The game went to triple overtime, and the Pistons won 186-184. The Piston’s score of 186 is still the highest to this day.
The Shortest and Tallest NBA Players
Ask most people who the tallest person was to play the game, and many will mistakenly guess it was either Manute Bol or Yao Ming. However, they’re both only 7 feet 6 inches tall. The tallest player ever was Gheorghe Muresan (pictured), who was a towering 7 feet 7 inches tall. The shortest player to ever join the NBA is Muggsy Bogues, at 5 foot 3 inches. Both players were very successful in their day and even played on the same team, the Washington Bullets, during the 1987-88 season.
The Amazing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Even people who don’t generally watch basketball know about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, it’s truly astounding how much he accomplished. He currently holds the record for the most Most Valuable Player awards of all time with six trophies (Michael Jordan is in second place). Abdul-Jabbar is also the first player in history to score 30,000 points, which he accomplished in 1984.
Celebrity NBA Team Owners
There are many Hollywood celebrities that are part owners of NBA teams. Former player Michael Jordan is the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets, singer Justin Timberlake owns a portion of the Memphis Grizzlies, Usher owns part of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith own a percentage of the Philadelphia 76ers. Oddly enough, some NBA players also own teams in other sports. LeBron James is a partial owner of the Boston Red Sox, and Magic Johnson is a part owner of both the L.A. Dodgers and the L.A. Sparks.
There was an NBA Team in Rhode Island
One thing we bet you didn’t know about the NBA is that for a few years, there was a professional basketball team out of Rhode Island. They were called the Providence Steamrollers, and they were one of the original teams when the NBA was formed. The team only lasted for three seasons. Most historians believe that they couldn’t stick around because there weren’t enough players on the team.
The Drafting of Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant is easily one of the best players to ever be involved in the NBA, but his drafting was actually fairly underwhelming. It may seem like he would have been a No. 1 pick. However, during the 1996 NBA Draft, he wasn’t even selected in the top 10. Instead, he was drafted as No. 13. Another interesting fact is that Bryant wasn’t even 18 years old when he was drafted. In order to get in, his parents had to co-sign for him.
Bryant Missed A Lot of Shots
Over time, Kobe Bryant proved just how valuable he was. During his career, he won two NBA Finals MVP awards, a Maurice Podoloff award, and helped his teams win five championships. Part of his recipe for success was taking a lot of shots. However, he missed a lot of those shots. He ended his career with a 44.7% field goal percentage. All-in-all, he missed 14,481 shots during his time in the NBA.
Shaquille O’Neal On and Off the Court
Shaq is easily considered to be one of the best NBA players of all time. He absolutely dominated the court in just about every metric, except 3-point shooting. During his career, he only attempted 22 3-point shots, and he only made one of them. Shaq is just as impressive off of the court. He has several college degrees, he’s a platinum rap artist, a successful actor, does a lot for his community, and has even worked as a police officer.
The Fastest Disqualification
In the NBA, you are only allowed a certain number of fouls before you’re disqualified from the game. Typically, if a player gets enough fouls to be kicked out of the game, it usually doesn’t happen until near the end of the game. However, the quick disqualification occurred in 1997 when Bubba Wells of the Dallas Mavericks fouled out of the game in under three minutes. It happened because his coach wanted him to limit the offense of the Chicago Bulls, especially player Dennis Rodman because he was notoriously bad at free throws.
Youngest and Oldest MVP Award Winners
The MVP (Most Valuable Player) award is one of the most highly sought-after accomplishments in the NBA. Many players have won it over the years. The youngest to ever do it was Derrick Rose, who won at the age of 22 with the Chicago Bulls. The oldest player to take home the award was Karl Malone, who won at the ripe old age of 35 when he played for the Utah Jazz.
Most NBA Players Go Broke After 5 Years
This is a fact you probably wish you didn’t know about the NBA, but the dream doesn’t last forever. While there are plenty of stars like LeBron James who are multimillionaires, 60% of former NBA players go broke within five years of exiting the league. In most cases, it’s because they can’t continue to live lavish lifestyles after the money stops flowing. It’s sad but a good lesson about the importance of being smart about your money.
Michael Jordan Was Not The No. 1 Draft Pick
As good as he was at basketball, Michael Jordan was not the No. 1 draft pick. During the 1984 draft, the No. 1 pick was Hakeem Olajuwon, who was drafted by the Houston Rockets. Jordan was chosen as the No. 3 pick by the Chicago Bulls. Of course, Jordan went on to win six championships and was also a great actor. With so much charisma, it’s no wonder why his film “Space Jam” makes our list of the best 90s movies that will never get old.