All About The Basketball Hoop: From History To Modern Buying Choices
The basketball hoop is one of the simplest and most influential designs to ever impact the sports world. What started as a way to keep students fit when the weather was too cold to go outside is now one of the most popular games in the world. Played in all different countries, by young and old, in street pickup games and multi-million dollar professional venues, everyone loves basketball.
So how did it start? Well, the modern basketball hoop as we know it wasn’t how the game began. When Dr. James Naismith invented the rules in 1897, he used a peach basket as a hoop and a soccer ball instead of the basketball we know today. As time progressed, a metal hoop and mesh net became popular, and a backboard was added (initially to keep second-floor spectators from interfering with the game, but now it allows rebounds and layups).
Today, there are professional teams in over a dozen countries. Outside of the professional world, people play the sport in school yards and gyms, in fitness clubs and after-school leagues, and at home by buying a basketball hoop to set up in their driveway. For at-home hoops, there are three main styles that are usually purchased:
- The garage mounted hoop, which is mounted on the edge of a roof, usually above the garage and centered on a driveway. This is very stable, and quite affordable because it doesn’t require you to buy a pole. Just make sure the door is closed if you have a car parked inside to avoid damage.
- The in-ground pole-mounted hoop, which is exactly what it sounds like: a hoop on a strong pole that is rooted in the ground (sometimes just with a deep hole, sometimes with cement for extra sturdiness.
- The portable at-home hoop. This also has a tall pole, but instead of being anchored underground, it rests on a large base filled with water or sand. It’s a little less sturdy, but is convenient because it has two wheels so that it can be moved (but is still heavy; don’t let kids do this alone).
No matter which type of basketball hoop you choose, you’re bound to have fun with the game. It can be even funner when you can slam dunk so you may want to be able to jump higher for basketball to be able to do this.