The Wildest Basketball Facts You Need to Hear

If you’re a basketball fan, you’re probably enjoying the start of another great NBA season! Now if you’re a die-hard fan, you might think you know it all when it comes to the game of hoops. Regardless of your knowledge of basketball, we at GiftWorksPlus know you’ll enjoy our blog today. We’re sharing all the wildest facts about the sport of basketball!

Basketball Facts to Blow Your Mind

• The shortest basketball player in NBA history is Muggsy Bogues who stands at 5 feet, 3 inches tall. Despite his height, he was able to block 39 shots by much taller players throughout his career.
  
• Bogues was also a first-round pick, as the 12^th overall pick in the 1987 draft. (For some perspective, Kobe Bryant was 13^th overall pick in 1996.) 
  
• The tallest basketball players in the NBA is a tie between Manute Bol and Gheorghe Muresan at a staggering 7 feet, 7 inches.
  
• Despite incredibly high salaries, around 60% of NBA players are basically broke after 5 years into retirement.
  
• Basketball was invented by a YMCA employee, James Naismith, who was given the task of creating an indoor sport.
  
• When basketball was created, dribbling was not allowed. Players could only pass the ball from player to player to move it down court. 
  
• Basketball started as a pretty short game, with two 15-minute halves and one five-minute half time. 
  
• Michael Jordan donated a year’s worth of his salary to 9/11 relief efforts in 2001-2002. 
  
• The player that scored the most points throughout his career? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar! He scored a record of 38,387 points in his 21 seasons in the NBA. 
  
• The world record for the tallest basketball shot ever made is 415 feet high!

Shop Our Basketball Frames

If you appreciated these basketball fun facts, share them with the basketball players in your life. Another fun gift to share with basketball players? A custom engraved basketball-themed frame from GiftWorksPlus. They make perfect end of season gifts for players, coaches, and fans. We hope you enjoy this ideal way to frame photos of your fondest memories of the game of hoops!