Basketball was created in Massachusetts, by Canadian professor of physical education, James Naismith. It quickly became popular in the United States, and has since spread and risen in popularity around the world.
Basketball today is a global phenomenon, and has boasts some of the biggest national and international events in the sports world. In this article, we are going to look through the most popular events in the basketball world, and briefly discuss their standing and history.
The NBA Finals
When it comes to its home country of the United States, no event is as popular as the National Basketball Association Finals. The NBA is one of America’s biggest sports organizations, worth billions of dollars, and the pre-eminent basketball organization in the country. The NBA Finals are an annual event, usually, held in June.
Watched by tens of millions of people every year, the NBA Finals’ popularity grows as time passes. While not nearly as popular as the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals draw in a huge crowd of fans and punters, and are some of the biggest events when it comes to betting. In fact, sports betting sites have noted that the NBA is definitely within the top basketball events that basketball bettors wager on.
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Olympic Basketball
The Olympic Games are, by far, the most popular sporting event in the world, held every four years. In 1936, basketball was introduced to the Olympics, where it has enjoyed a spot since. Since its introduction to the Olympics, the United States has been dominating the field. Having participated in the Olympic Basketball tournament 19 times, the American team has won 16 titles.
In 1976, women’s basketball was introduced to the Olympic Games as well, and much like the men’s team, the US women’s team are the dominant force. Having participated ten times, they have won 8 Olympic titles.
Apart from the Americans, other national teams that have won the gold medal include the Soviet team (which no longer exists), and the Argentinian team.
FIBA World Cup
The FIBA World Cup might not be the most popular among Americans, however, globally, it is by far, the biggest basketball event. Much like the FIFA World Cup, it is held every 4 years, and watched by tens of millions of basketball fans from around the world. In 2019, the FIBA World Cup Finals saw a record breaking viewership, with 3 billion fans tuning in to watch the Argentinian team go up against the Spaniards.
The game ended in Spain’s favor, with a score of 95 – 75, and the Spanish team became two-time World Cup winners. The next FIBA World Cup is scheduled to be played in 2023, and the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia will function as joint-hosts.
