25 Fun and Interesting Basketball Facts for Kids (FREE Fact PDF)
Slam dunk some serious fun with 25 Interesting BASKETBALL FACTS FOR KIDS – perfect for March Madness celebrations, gym class warm-ups, bulletin boards, basketball trivia games, and elementary physical education lessons.
🏀Basketball Facts for Kids🏀
Hey PE Teachers and Coaches – Stick around until the end and grab your FREE printable Basketball Facts PDF and watch your students light up as they discover amazing basketball history, records, and facts that make every hoop session more engaging, memorable and FUN!
In this post love2teachandlearn (Mrs. T.) will share 25 awesome basketball facts for kids.
Hi there, it’s so great to meet you! I’m Mrs. T. (or you can call me Jen) – a Michigan mom, wife, new grandma (aka “Jemma”) and K-12 PE teacher who has also taught Kindergarten, 3rd, and 6th grades.
I love teaching PE class because I get to spend time sharing fun facts, telling silly sports jokes and exercising while having a blast with my students.
I’m also on a serious mission to MAKE SCHOOL FUN AGAIN and this Awesome Collection of Basketball Facts for Kids is a great way to do just that!
AND, if you read all of these amazing Basketball Facts and LOVE THEM SO MUCH, I have a FREE BASKETBALL FACTS FOR KIDS PDF just for you. You’ll find it below, right after FACT #25.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #1
Basketball was invented in 1891 by a physical education teacher named James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #2
Naismith created basketball to keep his students active indoors during cold, snowy winters.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #3
Basketball originally had 13 rules, all written down by James Naismith on a piece of paper.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #4
The very first basketball hoops were real peach baskets nailed up high in the gym.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #5
The first official game of basketball was played in 1892, and only one basket was scored the whole game.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #6
At first, there was no hole in the peach baskets, so someone had to climb a ladder to get the ball out after every score.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #7
The first basketball games were played with a soccer ball, not a basketball.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #8
Basketballs were originally brown in color until the classic orange basketball was introduced in the 1950s so players and fans could see the ball more easily.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #9
The first basketball game was played with nine players on each team (18 total on the court). Now, each basketball team has five players on the court at one time in most official games.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #10
The 24‑second shot clock was added to professional basketball in the 1950s to speed up the game and make it more exciting.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #11
Basketball became an official Olympic sport for men in 1936 at the Berlin Games.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #12
Women’s basketball was added to the Olympic Games in 1976.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #13
Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for the most points in one NBA game in 1962 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, scoring a whopping 100 points. Kobe Bryant holds the record for the second-most points scored (81) in a single NBA game.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #14
In the beginning, players were not allowed to dribble; they could only pass the ball to move it. Today, dribbling is one of the most important skills in basketball.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #15
The NBA did not adopt the three‑point line until the 1979–80 season. Chris Ford, Boston Celtics guard, is credited with making the first three‑point basket in NBA history on October 12, 1979.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #16
Michael Jordan wore black-and-red Nike sneakers in 1984 that broke the NBA’s rule requiring shoes to be mostly white and match team colors. Nike paid the fines and turned the “banned” story into awesome marketing that made Air Jordans super famous!
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #17
The top 3 shortest players in NBA history are Muggsy Bogues (5’3″), followed by Earl Boykins (5’5″), and Spud Webb (5’6″).
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #18
Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol are tied as the tallest NBA players ever, both officially listed at 7 feet 7 inches.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #19
Slam dunks were banned in college basketball from 1967–1976 mainly to slow down dominant tall players like Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), claiming it caused injuries or damaged rims. The ban lasted until 1976 when fans and players wanted the exciting plays back.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #20
Jerry West is a legendary NBA basketball player nicknamed “The Logo” because his dribbling silhouette is the official NBA logo.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #21
The highest-scoring NBA game ever was Detroit Pistons 186, Denver Nuggets 184 on December 13, 1983—a triple-overtime thriller that combined for 370 total points.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #22
It’s called a “BANK SHOT” when the basketball bounces off the backboard into the hoop.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #23
The longest time to spin a basketball on one finger using one hand is 11 min 22.22 sec, achieved by Narayan Bhattarai (Nepal), on May 8, 2018. Narayan practiced for more than 15 months to break this record.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #24
Basketball is the second most popular sport in the world. Soccer is the most popular.
🏀BASKETBALL FACT #25
Basketball is a global sport and is played (and loved❤️ by many people) on every single continent!
Hey – did you love these 25 Awesome Basketball Facts for Kids? If so, here you go:
Get Your FREE 25 FUN BASKETBALL FACTS FOR KIDS PDF HERE!
FREE Basketball Facts for Kids PDF
Thanks so much for stopping by today to check out my basketball facts for kids! I really appreciate it.
And, if you love all things basketball like I do, be sure to check out these 10 super funny basketball jokes and these 5 Mega Fun Basketball PE Games.
I hope that you have a TRULY BLESSED And BEAUTIFUL Day filled with plenty of FUN and FITNESS!
Be sure to check out my other unique and fun PE Gym Resources and Games in my Love 2 Teach and Learn TPT store RIGHT HERE!
