Basketball is basically a team game where two teams, usually of five players each, against each other on a flat rectangular court with the objective of shooting a ball through the opponents’ hoop and preventing the other team from shooting through their hoop. There are two pivot players who perform the majority of the offensive duties, while the other five score mainly by scoring buckets. In general, the back line serves as the stopper or the point guard position while the front line is responsible for playing the point and screening the opponents, while the two guards play the two big men positions and help out the big men in the front court. The two wings, along with two small guards are the playmaking position while the shooting guards shadow the best shooters in the back court and sometimes help out the smaller guards who play the perimeter positions. As this is a traditional conception of a basketball game, there are many variations to it.
One variation is called the single-minded basketball where the only thing that players care about is scoring the most points. In this kind of basketball, players run the court together and set up screens and play passes that lead to dunks or baskets. The second variation is called the double-minded basketball wherein the players on either team have double duties – they run, they screen, they pass and they rebound. Each player has to take on dual roles to win the game.
The basketball games played in the United States and in most major international tournaments today are a lot of fun and exhilarating to watch and to play in. There are a number of professional and amateur leagues in the United States, and most of these have regular season schedules. The NBA and the National Basketball League (NHL) have national TV coverage and many arenas and stadiums host regular season NBA games.