14
votes
Are the NBA champions called World champions? Why is that?
Like it or not, American sports has a history of calling the winner of each of its major professional sports each year "World Champions." This tradition goes back to the 1884 World Series. Besides ...
- 8,572
13
votes
Accepted
Was Kobe Bryant's 60 points in his last game comparable to his performance during his career?
I've got no particularly interest in what the game was, but dug into the stats a bit... a couple good ones that stand out from this SB Nation article:
Kobe's 50 shots are the most in a game since ...
- 1,948
12
votes
Whose record did the Chicago Bulls team of 1995-96 break?
Chicago Bulls held the record for most wins in a single NBA season with 72 wins in the 1995-96 season, which has since been surpassed by the 2015-2016 Golden State Warriors (with 73 wins).
Prior to ...
- 2,475
11
votes
Accepted
Why are assists in basketball called "dimes"?
There isn't really a verifiable source on this, unfortunately, without perhaps doing a ton of research of old television announcers. I've never seen that.
What I have found so far, is that it likely ...
Joe♦
- 12.8k
11
votes
Accepted
What is a protected pick?
A protected pick is one which will be traded only if it is below a certain point in the draft order. For example, in the Cousins trade, the first round pick that the Pelicans are sending to the Kings ...
- 24k
10
votes
Basketball-who gets the point?
If the ball travels through your opponent's basket, your opponent gets the points.
Rule 5, Section I, part D of the 2014-15 NBA Rule Book
d. A field goal accidentally scored in an opponent’s basket ...
- 552
10
votes
Dealing with "cheap" opponents
Competitive sports will be like this. Learning to deal with cheap shots will just be another skill to pick up.
Opponents pull cheap shots for two reasons: to create actual game play advantage and ...
- 1,025
8
votes
Accepted
What happens if an NBA team is reduced to less than five players by fouling out?
NBA Rule 3 Section 1.
a. Each team shall consist of five players. No team may be reduced to less than five players. If a player in the game receives his sixth personal foul and all substitutes have ...
- 2,475
8
votes
Accepted
Where can I find the points per game throughout many NBA seasons?
On basketball-reference.com you can find many stats on NBA matches.
In the colum Points in the Game section you can find data you need (see the picture below and use x2 coefficient)
- 9,312
8
votes
Accepted
What is the average height in the NBA?
Using the data at the NBA's great stats page, I put together:
This indeed has a mean just over 6'7".
Mode as indicated is 6'9".
Median is 6'7".
And a standard deviation of about 3.5" inches just for ...
- 1,948
8
votes
Accepted
Shooting at the wrong hoop beyond the three point line
The FIBA rules have defined how points are awarded for an own goal.
Article 16.2.2
If a player accidentally scores a field goal in his team’s basket, the goal counts 2 points and shall be recorded as ...
- 2,024
8
votes
Accepted
Why did Magic Johnson throw the ball out of bounds after getting the rebound?
The time remaining in the game was on the order of 3 seconds. By holding the ball in that position or trying to dribble, he risked a foul or a basket against.
By quickly clearing to the far end, the ...
Nij♦
- 7,924
8
votes
Accepted
Why do NBA stars keep playing in playoff blowouts?
Wikipedia lists quite a few comebacks from deficits of 25+ points in the 3rd or even early 4th quarter. The odds are certainly small that a team would turn it around, but even a glimmer of hope to ...
- 1,948
8
votes
Accepted
Ethics/commonality of sports teams scoring more points at end of a game they are clearly winning
In professional sport, the rule is pretty much "score as many as you can". To take one recent example of this, Ajax beat VVV-Venlo 13-0 in the Erdedivise (top-level Dutch soccer league) on ...
- 24k
8
votes
Why do top NBA stars from USA skip the Olympics?
Because in those players' views, the risks, most notably injury risks either from directly being injured in the Olympics or an increased injury risk the following season due to having less off-season, ...
- 24k
7
votes
Accepted
Why do the Golden State Warriors call themselves dubnation?
Dub = short for W
W = Warriors
Different way of saying Warriornation.
- 5,139
7
votes
Accepted
Dealing with "cheap" opponents
You have a good text book answer that you already accepted.
I will simply give you my take as a big - 6'3" 200lb point guard - that takes a ton of abuse especially when playing in lower income ...
- 5,139
7
votes
Accepted
What is a team basket in basketball?
Huh, this is a tricky one to actually try to look up due to the terms used. I can't find an instance of the term in the NBA or NCAA rules. However, I'm nearly positive a "team basket" is usually noted ...
- 1,330
7
votes
Is shouting a foul in basketball?
I used the 2016-17 NBA and NCAA (click download PDF) rulebooks, and the 2012-13 Iowa HSAA rulebook (apparently the NFHS rulebook is now pay protected????)
The closest definitive rule in American ...
- 1,948
7
votes
Accepted
Has a point guard ever averaged 1 block a game?
Not since blocks became a recorded stat in 1973-74.
Basketball Reference does not allow querying specifically for point guards as opposed to shooting guards, but very few guards of any kind meet your ...
- 3,286
7
votes
Why do NBA stars keep playing in playoff blowouts?
As it is mentioned in the question, the stars are pulled out with a few minutes left in the game. How early they are pulled depends on the point differential, the coach, and the team's momentum.
In ...
- 10.8k
7
votes
Accepted
What's the purpose of Division Standings in NBA?
Prior to 2016, a team's rankings within their division had an influence on how they are seeded.
In 2005, when the third division for each conference were first introduced, division winners were ...
- 2,013
7
votes
Accepted
What does the ‘3’ in Chris Paul’s nickname CP3 stand for?
It's a family related nickname. Chris Paul's father's and older brother's Initials are also CP, making him the third person with initials CP, hence CP3.
- 10.8k
6
votes
NBA rule - how far does the ball have to go in the hoop to count for points?
That would be illegal and considered interference.
From NBA rule 11, section I
A player should not :
b. Touch any ball from within the playing area when it is above the basket ring and within ...
- 336
6
votes
Basketball sits on the back of the rim motionless after an attempted shot. What is the ruling?
According to the NBA Rule Book:
Rule 6, Section 5
(a) The ball shall be put into play in the center circle by a jump ball between any two opponents:
(6) The ball comes to rest on the basket flange ...
- 2,057
6
votes
Accepted
How often does this achievement happen in basketball?
How often should you expect it? Never. Only 24 times since 1983 has a player recorded a triple double with 20+ rebounds, which is the absolute minimum required to even look at the offensive/defensive ...
- 3,286
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible