The NBA Global Games are a series of games featuring NBA teams that are played outside the United States and Canada. Its purpose is to bring teams from the National Basketball Association (NBA) to play games against either another NBA team or a foreign club.
117-515: The games themselves are played under NBA rules , which differ slightly from the FIBA rules under which the foreign teams normally play. Court markings and dimensions also differ slightly. The first official overseas game featuring an NBA team was an exhibition matchup between the Washington Bullets and Maccabi Tel Aviv on September 7, 1978. The then-defending champions lost 98–97 at
234-470: A 42–40 record including four straight victories to end the season but just missed the playoffs. Highlights of the season included Chris Webber leading the team in scoring (21.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.5 rpg). Strickland led the league in assists (10.5 apg) before suffering an injury near the end of the season. He was also named on the All-NBA Second Team. Tracy Murray averaged 15.1 ppg off
351-556: A 25–57 record in the 1991–92 season. Pervis Ellison was named 1992 Most Improved Player of The Year , averaging 20.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game. Undrafted rookie Larry Stewart became the first undrafted player in NBA history to make an All-Rookie Team, being selected to the All-Rookie Second Team. The Bullets drafted Tom Gugliotta with their sixth overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft . They finished
468-404: A 30-second clock in 1971. The NCAA adopted a 45-second shot clock for men while continuing with the 30-second clock for women in 1985. The men's shot clock was then reduced to 35 seconds in 1993, and further reduced to 30 seconds in 2015. FIBA reduced the shot clock to 24 seconds in 2000, and changed the clock's resetting to when the ball touched the rim of the basket. Originally, a missed shot where
585-479: A defensive player interferes with the path of the offensive player in the shooting motion. Blocking fouls are easily called when the defensive player is standing in the "restricted zone". Restricted zone: In 1997, the NBA introduced an arc of a 4-foot (1.2 m) radius around the basket, in which an offensive foul for charging could not be assessed. This was to prevent defensive players from attempting to draw an offensive foul on their opponents by standing underneath
702-577: A game, third in the NBA and best in the East and clinched a playoff berth for the second consecutive season for the first time since 1987. Their first-round match-up with Cleveland was widely seen as the most evenly matched series in the 2006 NBA playoffs . The teams exchanged wins during the first two games in Cleveland, with game two highlighted by the Wizards holding LeBron James to 7–25 shooting from
819-673: A holiday video, "You da Man, You da Man, that's the reason I'm a Bullets Fan!" in 1994, which featured all 12 Bullets dancing in front of the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. In the Bullets' 1995–96 season Webber suffered a dislocated left shoulder in a preseason game against the Indiana Pacers on October 21, and opened the season on the injured list. He was activated on November 27, but strained his shoulder against
936-534: A longshot to win the NBA Finals , but San Antonio journalist Dan Cook coined the famed phrase " It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings ". This became the rallying cry for the Bullets as they finished a playoff run that led to the NBA Finals , defeating the Seattle SuperSonics in seven games to bring a professional sports championship to Washington, D.C. for the first time in 36 years. It remains
1053-1005: A preseason game at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Then the Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings played two matches at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai and the MasterCard Center in Beijing. Like the previous season, two regular season Global Games were scheduled in Mexico City and London; the Mexico City game between the Timberwolves and the Rockets on November 12 was played without incident. For
1170-408: A size 6 ball. This ball is slightly smaller than the size 7 ball, having a 28.5 inch circumference, and weighing 20 oz. Originally, there was one umpire to judge fouls and one referee to judge the ball; the tradition of calling one official the "referee" and the other one or two the "umpires" has remained (the NBA, however, uses different terminology, referring to the lead official as "crew chief" and
1287-518: A team executive, the team stumbled to a 25–57 record in the 2003–04 season . In the off-season, the team traded Stackhouse, Christian Laettner , and the draft rights to Devin Harris to the Dallas Mavericks for Antawn Jamison . During the regular season, the scoring trio of Arenas, Jamison and Hughes was the highest in the NBA and earned the nickname of "The Big Three". Hughes led
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#17327914641221404-507: A team is inbounding the basketball, they have 5 seconds to do so. This rule is intact no matter where a team is inbounding the ball, whether it is under the net or from the sidelines. If they fail to release the basketball after 5 seconds, it will be counted as a turnover and possession will go to the other team. In 1936 the three-second rule was introduced. This rule prohibits offensive players from remaining near their opponents' basket for longer than three seconds (the precise restricted area
1521-442: A third and final time after the season. After the season, majority owner Pollin fired Jordan as team president, much to the shock of players, associates, and the public. Jordan felt betrayed, thinking that he would get his ownership back after his playing days ended, but Pollin justified Jordan's dismissal by noting that Jordan had detrimental effects on the team, such as benching Hughes for Tyronn Lue , making poor trades, and using
1638-596: A three-game series victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers , the Bullets took a 2–1 series lead in the second round against the Houston Rockets . With a chance to take a 3–1 series lead at home, the Bullets lost 107–103, and the Rockets took the series in six games. Although they had future hall of famers Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld on the team, the Bullets finished the 1977–78 season 44–38 and were
1755-418: A three-point field goal). If an offensive player is fouled while not in the act of shooting, or if a player is fouled in a loose-ball situation, the penalty varies by level of play and the number of fouls accumulated by the opposing team in a given period. A player has ten seconds to attempt a free throw. If the player does not attempt a free throw within ten seconds of receiving the ball, the free throw attempt
1872-443: A violation. From 1931, if a closely guarded player withheld the ball from play for five seconds, play was stopped and resumed with a jump ball; such a situation has since become a violation by the ball-carrier. Goaltending became a violation in 1944, and offensive goaltending in 1958. Free throws were introduced shortly after basketball was invented. In 1895, the free throw line was officially placed fifteen feet (4.6 m) from
1989-419: A winning record, but in a highly competitive Atlantic Division they finished last and missed the playoffs. The next two years saw the Bullets continue to play mediocre basketball as they finished with losing records but they made the playoffs in the new expanded NBA Playoffs format that involved the 16 best teams to make the playoffs; the Bullets were eliminated in both years in the first round. In 1985 ,
2106-611: Is also known as the lane or the key ). A game central to this rule's introduction was that between the University of Kentucky and New York University . Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp did not take one of his referees with him, despite being warned of discrepancies in officiating between the Midwest and East by Notre Dame coach George Keogan, and the game became especially rough. Because of this game and others, 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Kentucky All-American center Leroy Edwards
2223-415: Is generally recognized as the player responsible for the three-second rule. While the rule was originally adopted to reduce roughness in the area between big men, it is now considered to prevent tall offensive players from gaining an advantage by waiting close to the basket. When the NBA started to allow zone defense in 2001, a three-second rule for defensive players was also introduced. The shot clock
2340-416: Is lost, and a free throw violation is called. A free throw violation also occurs if a free throw misses the backboard, rim, and basket. If a free throw violation is assessed on the last free throw awarded to a player in a given situation, possession automatically reverts to the opposing team. A charge is physical contact between an offensive player and a defensive player. In order to draw an offensive charge
2457-457: Is the shortest player in NBA history. The Bullets would get off to a slow start as coach Kevin Loughery was fired 27 games into the season with the Bullets holding an 8–19 record. To replace Loughery, the Bullets hired former MVP Wes Unseld. Under Unseld, the Bullets improved as they were able to reach the playoffs again with a record of 38–44. After losing the first two games on the road in
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#17327914641222574-401: The 1967 draft , number two overall, and Wes Unseld , in the following year's draft , also number two overall. The team improved dramatically, from 36 wins the previous season to 57 in the 1968–69 season , and Unseld received both the rookie of the year and MVP awards. The Bullets hosted the 1969 NBA All-Star Game and reached the playoffs with high expectations, but they were eliminated by
2691-842: The 2015–16 season , the NBA scheduled two regular season games to be played outside the United States and Canada. The first game, between the Boston Celtics and the Sacramento Kings , was scheduled to be played on December 3, 2015, at the Mexico City Arena ; the Celtics defeated the Kings 114–97. It marked the NBA's third regular-season game in Mexico City. The second game, between the Orlando Magic and
2808-878: The Atlanta Hawks played against the Soviet Union national basketball team in a three-game series in Tbilisi , Vilnius and Moscow, becoming the first NBA team to play in the Soviet Union. In 1987, the McDonald's Championship was introduced. While the first edition was held in Milwaukee , the following editions of the event were held in Europe, with the NBA teams emerging victorious against their European counterparts in each staging. The McDonald's Championship
2925-717: The Baltimore Bullets , taking their name from a 1940s–1950s Baltimore Bullets BAA/NBA franchise and playing their home games at the Baltimore Civic Center . The NBA returned to Chicago in 1966 when the Chicago Bulls began play. In their first year in Baltimore, the Bullets finished fourth in a five–team Western Division. Prior to the 1964–65 season the Bullets pulled off a blockbuster trade, sending Dischinger, Rod Thorn and Don Kojis to
3042-759: The Chicago Packers in Chicago , Illinois ; they were renamed the Chicago Zephyrs in the following season. In 1963, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland , and became the Baltimore Bullets , taking the name from a previous team of the same name . In 1973, the team moved to the Washington metropolitan area and changed its name first to the Capital Bullets , then the following season to Washington Bullets . In 1997, they rebranded themselves as
3159-595: The Dallas Mavericks . In return, Washington received Hubert Davis , Courtney Alexander , Christian Laettner , Loy Vaught and Etan Thomas along with $ 3 million. After retiring from the Chicago Bulls in early 1999, Michael Jordan became the Washington Wizards' vice president of basketball operations as well as a minority owner in January 2000. In September 2001, Jordan came out of retirement at age 38 to play for Washington. Jordan stated that he
3276-602: The Detroit Pistons for Bailey Howell , Don Ohl , Bob Ferry and Wali Jones . The trade worked out well; Howell proved to be a hustler and a fundamentally sound player. He helped the Bullets reach the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In the 1965 NBA playoffs , the Bullets stunned the St. Louis Hawks 3–1, and advanced to the Western Conference finals. In the finals, Baltimore managed to split
3393-742: The Eastern Conference . The team plays its home games at Capital One Arena , in the Chinatown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. an arena they share with the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Georgetown University men's basketball team . The team is owned by Ted Leonsis through Monumental Sports & Entertainment . The franchise was established in 1961 as
3510-494: The Houston Rockets the following season. In 1981–82 , Washington played strong under the coaching of Gene Shue and Don Moran , finishing the regular season with a 43–39 record, and although they advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals in the playoffs, they had clearly lost the power of the late 1970s. The 1983 Bullets continued to play with the same talent they had in the previous year. They finished with
3627-615: The NBA Finals . The Bullets were favorites to win the NBA championship, but were swept by the Al Attles-led Golden State Warriors in four games, losing games one and four at the Capital Centre. The loss at the NBA Finals lingered into the 1975–76 season , as they won 12 fewer games than last year, and in the playoffs they were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games. After
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3744-710: The New York Knicks in the first round. The next season the two teams met again in the first round, and although this one went to seven games, the Knicks emerged victorious again. In the 1970–71 season , the 42–40 Bullets again met the Knicks , this time though in the Eastern Conference finals. With the Knicks team captain Willis Reed injured in the finals, the injury-free Bullets took advantage of his absence, and in game seven, at New York's Madison Square Garden ,
3861-509: The New York Knicks on December 29. After hoping the injury would get better with rest, Webber finally underwent surgery on Feb 1 which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. The Bullets were 9–6 with Webber in the lineup as he averaged a team-high 23.7 points plus 7.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.80 steals in 37.2 minutes per game when he was able to play. Other players injured included Mark Price (who only played in seven games) and Robert Pack (31 games played out of 82). Bright spots of
3978-628: The Rookie of the Year award. The Wizards began playing as the Chicago Packers in 1961, as the NBA's first expansion team , an expansion prompted by Abe Saperstein 's American Basketball League . Rookie Walt Bellamy was the team's star, averaging 31.6 points per game, 19.0 rebounds per game, and leading the NBA in field goal percentage. During the All-Star Game, Bellamy represented the team while scoring 23 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. Bellamy
4095-702: The Toronto Raptors , was played on January 14, 2016, at The O 2 Arena in London. It marked the NBA's sixth regular-season game in London. In October 2019, the games in China were met with backlash following Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey 's support of the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests over the proposed extradition bill , which Hong Kongers feared would allow mainland Chinese officials to detain them despite Hong Kong's autonomy. The Chinese Basketball Association 's suspended of its relationship with
4212-543: The Wizards . The Wizards have played in four NBA Finals ; they won in 1978 . They have appeared in 28 playoffs, won four conference titles (1971, 1975, 1978, 1979), and won eight division titles (1969, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1979, 2017). Their best season record, in 1975, was 60–22. Wes Unseld is the only player in franchise history to be named NBA MVP (1969) and Finals MVP (1978). Four players ( Walt Bellamy , Terry Dischinger , Earl Monroe , and Unseld) have won
4329-827: The Yad Eliyahu Arena in Tel Aviv , Israel . The Bullets would play three more exhibition games the following year in Beijing and Shanghai in China, and in Quezon City in the Philippines . In 1984, a series of exhibition matches pitting the New Jersey Nets , Phoenix Suns and Seattle SuperSonics against local European clubs were held in Israel, Italy, West Germany and Switzerland. Then in 1988,
4446-819: The "NBA Global Games". The newly renamed event witnessed the first NBA preseason game held in Southeast Asia , with the Indiana Pacers and the Houston Rockets facing each other in the Philippines . In addition, a preseason game between the Washington Wizards and the Chicago Bulls in Brazil marked the first NBA preseason match in South America. The league was scheduled to hold a pair of regular season matches in Mexico and United Kingdom, but
4563-550: The "long-overdue" feeling was that game three was the first NBA playoff game to be held within Washington, D.C. city limits. In the Wizards' game five victory in Chicago, Arenas hit a buzzer-beater to win the game and the Wizards took their first lead in a playoff series since 1986. In game six, at the MCI Center, Jared Jeffries picked up a loose ball and went in for an uncontested tie-breaking dunk with 32 seconds left, giving
4680-622: The 1992–93 season with a 22–60 record. Following the season, the Bullets traded Harvey Grant to the Portland Trail Blazers for former All-Star center Kevin Duckworth . In 1993, the Bullets did a rap music video of their version of Naughty by Nature 's rap single " Hip Hop Hooray ", featuring the rap trio themselves. Injuries continued as key players Rex Chapman and Calbert Cheaney (the club's first-round draft pick) missed significant stretches, and Ellison missed almost
4797-676: The 1995–96 season. Washington forward Juwan Howard sat on the committee that decided on the logo design. That same year the Wizards moved to the then MCI Center ( Capital One Arena ), also home to the Capitals and the Georgetown Hoyas men's college basketball team . In 1998, they became the brother team to the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association , and remained officially thus until 2005 when
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4914-422: The Atlanta Hawks and the Milwaukee Bucks in October 2022. The second time two preseason games between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves were held, in October 2023. The NBA returned to the Etihad Arena third time for two preseason games between the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics, held on October 4 and 6, 2024. The league faced criticism from rights groups, with the Human Rights Watch accusing
5031-447: The Bullets acquired Manute Bol in the 1985 NBA draft , whose specialty was blocking shots. That year, he blocked 397 shots (a Bullets record), part of a team that blocked 716 shots (a Bullets team record). However, the Bullets finished with a disappointing 39–43 record, and were eliminated by the 76ers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Bullets acquired center Moses Malone from the Philadelphia 76ers for center Jeff Ruland
5148-449: The Bullets defeating the SuperSonics . The 60–22 Bullets made it back to the 1975 NBA playoffs . In the regular season , Washington posted a 36–5 home record at the Capital Centre. In the first round of the playoffs, they survived a seven-game series against the Buffalo Braves as both teams won all of their games at home. In the Eastern Conference finals, they beat the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics in six games to advance to
5265-486: The Bullets officially became the Wizards. The new name generated some controversy because " wizard " is a rank in the Ku Klux Klan , and Washington has a large African American population. A new logo was unveiled and the team colors were changed from the traditional red, white and blue to a lighter shade of blue, black and bronze, the same colors as the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL), also owned by Pollin and changed from red, white and blue before
5382-408: The Bullets when they won their only NBA championship in 1978, was called upon to resurrect his former team. The Bullets responded, winning 16 of their final 21 games to finish 44–38 , their best record since 1978–79. The late surge enabled the Bullets to climb within reach of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. In a win-or-go-home game with the Cavaliers on
5499-404: The Bullets' Gus Johnson made a critical basket late in the game to lift the Bullets over the Knicks 93–91 and advance to their first NBA Finals . They were swept in four games by the powerful Milwaukee Bucks led by future Hall of Fame members Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (known in 1971 as Lew Alcindor) and Oscar Robertson . Even after the trades of Earl Monroe (to the Knicks) and Gus Johnson (to
5616-411: The Bullets. In the 1979–80 season , they barely made the playoffs as they captured the sixth and final playoff spot via a tiebreaker despite posting a 39–43 record. In the playoffs, they were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in a two-game playoff series. The following year the Bullets failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. Wes Unseld retired and Elvin Hayes was traded back to
5733-446: The Central Division title for the third straight year. The Bullets again faced the Knicks in the 1973 NBA playoffs , losing for the fourth time in five series against New York. In February 1973, the team announced its pending move 30 miles (50 km) southwest to the Capital Centre in Landover , a Washington, D.C. suburb, and became the Capital Bullets. After that 1973–74 season , they changed their geographic identifier name to
5850-420: The Eastern Conference finals, they trailed the San Antonio Spurs 3–1, but they mounted a comeback by winning two straight games to force a game seven at the Capital Centre. The Bullets rallied again, overcoming a fourth–quarter deficit to beat George Gervin and the Spurs 107–105 in one of the NBA's all-time greatest games and advance to the NBA Finals and a rematch with the Seattle SuperSonics . In Game 1 of
5967-443: The Knicks in the 1984–85 season to finish third in the NBA in scoring with a 28.4 points per game. In 1990, the team named Susan O'Malley as its president, the first female president of a franchise in the history of the NBA, who is the daughter of Peter O'Malley, the prominent lawyer from Maryland and former president of the Washington Capitals . The Bullets continued to struggle due to injuries and inconsistent play. They posted
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#17327914641226084-425: The Mavericks and the Rockets in Mexico City. While the NBA has had a history of sending teams to Europe to play against the local clubs, it was not until 1993 that the league decided to send two of its teams to Europe to play a pair of preseason matches against each other. An exhibition series between the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks was held in London, United Kingdom, a precursor of what would later be called
6201-410: The Mystics were sold to Lincoln Holdings (headed by Ted Leonsis ), parent company of the Capitals. However, upon the purchase of the Wizards by Leonsis in 2010, the Wizards and Mystics again became sibling teams. The newly named Wizards began the 1997–98 season playing five home games at the Capital Centre before moving to the new MCI Center on December 2, 1997. The Wizards finished the season with
6318-411: The NBA China Games. The two-game series between the Sacramento Kings and the Houston Rockets also marked the homecoming of sorts for Yao Ming , who as the top overall pick of the 2002 NBA draft and a perennial all-star, helped popularize the NBA in China. The China Games eventually became a regular in the NBA's preseason schedule. In 2013, the NBA decided to unify its overseas tours under one banner:
6435-421: The NBA Europe Live Tour. Further games were held in Italy, France, Germany, Russia, Spain and Turkey. It was not until 2011, however, that a regular season matchup was first played in Europe. The first regular season games in London pitted the New Jersey Nets against the Toronto Raptors , with the Nets sweeping the two-game series. In 2004, the NBA held a pair of preseason games in Shanghai and Beijing, as part of
6552-422: The NBA in steals with 2.89 per game. Arenas and Jamison were both named to the 2005 Eastern Conference All-Star team, marking the first time Washington had two players in the All-Star game since Jeff Malone and Moses Malone represented the Bullets in the 1987 All-Star Game. The 2004–05 season saw the team (now in the new Southeast Division) post its best regular season record in 26 years ( 45–37 ) and marked
6669-409: The NBA of helping the United Arab Emirates in " sportswashing " its poor human rights record . On September 30, 2024, HRW sent a letter to the NBA, asking it to ensure that the preseason games do not become a distraction, alleging the United Arab Emirates of using major sporting events to polish its image. A group of human rights organizations also called for the NBA to cancel the Abu Dhabi games, citing
6786-458: The NCAA. In Italy's Serie A , an American football-style coach's challenge is permitted to challenge (at the next dead ball) an official's call on any situation similar to the NCAA. The center jump ball that was used to restart a game after every successful field goal was eliminated in 1938, in favor of the ball being given to the non-scoring team from behind the end line where the goal was scored, in order to make play more continuous. The jump ball
6903-515: The Rockets and all Houston Rockets-related items were removed from the Tmall and JD.com sites and the team's games were removed from broadcasting on Tencent . Several days later, Morey and the NBA each issued a separate statement addressing the original tweet, with Morey saying that he never intended his tweet to cause any offense and the NBA saying that it was regrettable, which resulted in backlash from American politicians who called it "a betrayal of fundamental American values". Further fallout from
7020-410: The Spurs on December 17, 2022, at the Mexico City Arena in Mexico City . The NBA Paris Game 2023 will feature a matchup between the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons on January 19, 2023, at the Accor Arena in Paris . In November 2021, the NBA and the United Arab Emirates signed a multiyear partnership agreement. The NBA made its first trip to Abu Dhabi for two preseason games between
7137-402: The Suns), the Bullets remained a playoff contender throughout the 1970s. Following a less than spectacular 1971–72 season , Baltimore acquired Elvin Hayes from the Houston Rockets and drafted Kevin Porter in the third round of the 1972 NBA draft , out of St. Francis . After a slow start in 1972–73 , Baltimore made their charge in December, posting a 10–4 record on the way to capturing
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#17327914641227254-467: The Technical Commission of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) determines rules for international play; most leagues outside North America use the complete FIBA ruleset. On 15 January 1892, James Naismith published his rules for the game of "Basket Ball" that he invented: The original game played under these rules was quite different from the one played today as there was no dribbling, dunking, three-pointers, or shot clock , and goal tending
7371-439: The Washington Bullets. The Bullets would return to Baltimore to play a few home games per season during the late 1980s and 1990s. During November 1973, while waiting for the completion of their new arena in Landover, the Bullets played their home games at Cole Field House on the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park . The Capital Centre (later known as the US Airways Arena) opened on December 2, 1973, with
7488-417: The Wizards a 94–91 win and the team's first playoff series win in 23 years. They were only the 12th team in NBA history to win a playoff series after being down 0–2. This playoff series victory ended the second longest streak with no postseason series wins in NBA history. In the conference semifinals, the Wizards were swept by the Miami Heat , the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The 2005–06 season
7605-409: The Wizards concluded the season with a 37–45 record but could not make the Eastern Conference playoffs. Jordan announced he would return for the 2002–03 season , and this time he was determined to be equipped with reinforcements, as he traded for All-Star Jerry Stackhouse and signed budding star Larry Hughes . Jordan even accepted a sixth-man role on the bench in order for his knee to survive
7722-454: The Wizards heat up again, as Arenas scored 20 in the fourth quarter after claiming he changed his jersey, shorts, shoes and tights in the room and the Wizards won 106–96. Yet in games five and six, the Cavs took control of the series, both games decided by one point in overtime. In game five, despite the Wizards being down 107–100 with 1:18 to play, the team drove back and eventually tied the game on Butler's layup with 7.5 seconds remaining to send
7839-405: The backboard, prior to which most gymnasiums placed one twenty feet (6.1 m) from the backboard. From 1924, players that received a foul were required to shoot their own free throws. One free throw shot is awarded to a player who was fouled while making a successful field goal attempt. If the field goal attempt is unsuccessful, two free throw shots are awarded (three if the player was attempting
7956-418: The ball once, and could not shoot after he had dribbled. The definition of dribbling became the "continuous passage of the ball" in 1909, allowing more than one bounce, and a player who had dribbled was then allowed to shoot. Running with the ball ceased to be considered a foul in 1922, and became a violation, meaning that the only penalty was loss of possession. Striking the ball with the fist has also become
8073-422: The ball over the center line within ten seconds of gaining possession. This rule remained until 2000, when FIBA reduced the requirement to eight seconds, the NBA following suit in 2001. The NCAA retains the 10-second rule for men's play, and adopted this rule for women's play starting with the 2013–14 season. U.S. high schools, whose rules are drafted by NFHS , also use the 10-second rule for both sexes. While
8190-413: The ball. With a flagrant 2 foul, the player that committed the foul will not only be automatically ejected, but fined at least $ 2,000 as well A technical foul can given to a team in many different ways. A technical foul can be given when a team calls more time outs than they have, delaying the game, have too many players on the court, verbally disrespect or curse, or hang on the rim. With a technical foul,
8307-455: The basket. FIBA adopted this arc with a 1.25-meter (4 ft 1 in) radius in 2010. If a foul by a player is interpreted as unnecessary, a flagrant 1 foul will be assessed. The opposing team will then be rewarded with 2 free throws and possession of the ball. If a foul by a player is interpreted as both unnecessary and excessive, a flagrant 2 foul will be assessed. The opposing team will then be rewarded with two free throws and possession of
8424-486: The bench including a 50-point game against Golden State. Off-court distractions led to the trade of Webber to the Sacramento Kings for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe in May 1998. The Wizards finished the lockout-shortened season of 1998–99 with a record of 18–32 . Mitch Richmond led the team in scoring with a 19.7 ppg average. In the 1999–2000 season , the Wizards finished with a 29–53 record. Mitch Richmond led
8541-509: The case in most forms of basketball where the normal length of the game (before any overtime periods) is 40 minutes. When the normal length is 48 minutes (this is the case with the National Basketball Association in the United States and Canada) a player is accordingly disqualified on his sixth foul. The first time restriction on possession of the ball was introduced in 1933, where teams were required to advance
8658-545: The country's involvement in the ongoing Sudan crisis . Rules of basketball The rules of basketball are the rules and regulations that govern the play, officiating, equipment and procedures of basketball . While many of the basic rules are uniform throughout the world, variations do exist. Most leagues or governing bodies in North America, the most important of which are the National Basketball Association and NCAA , formulate their own rules. In addition,
8775-450: The defensive player must establish legal guarding positioning in the path of the offensive player. If contact is made, the officials would issue an offensive charge. No points will be allowed and the ball is turned over. The defensive player may not draw an offensive charge in the "restricted zone" (see below for more details). Blocking is physical contact between the offensive player and the defensive player. Blocking fouls are issued when
8892-479: The entire season. The result was a 24–58 record for the 1993–94 season. Don MacLean was named 1994 Most Improved Player of the season, leading the Bullets with 18.2 points per game (tied with Chapman). The Bullets selected Juwan Howard in the 1994 NBA draft and traded Gugliotta along with three first-round draft picks to the Golden State Warriors for the rights to Chris Webber . While
9009-601: The finals, the Bullets defeated the SuperSonics, 99–97, on two game-winning free throws. They lost the next four games, and the series, to Seattle. The Bullets were the only team to play in the NBA Finals four times during the 1970s. In August 1979, the Bullets became the first NBA team to visit China, where they defeated the Bayi Rockets and the Shanghai Sharks . Age and injuries finally caught up with
9126-685: The first NBA preseason game in the Caribbean. The following year, the Houston Rockets and the Dallas Mavericks played a preseason game in Mexico City , in the first NBA game held in Latin America. Several other preseason matches would follow in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico (under the name NBA Challenge), but it was not until 1997 that the NBA decided to hold its first regular season game in Latin America, featuring
9243-501: The first four games with the Los Angeles Lakers before losing the series 4–2. Within the first two months of that season, the Bullets were purchased from original franchise managing partner Dave Trager by Abe Pollin , Earl Foreman and real estate investor and former NBA referee Arnold Heft for $ 1.1 million, on November 23, 1964. In the late 1960s, the Bullets drafted two future Hall of Fame members: Earl Monroe , in
9360-437: The first of 35 regular season "home" games the Bullets played in Baltimore from 1989 to 1997. They finished with a 31–51 record despite stellar seasons by Jeff Malone and Bernard King , who averaged 24.3 and 22.3 points per game respectively to lead the team. The lone highlight of the Bullets' 30-win 1990–91 season was the successful comeback effort by Bernard King as he recovered from knee surgery he suffered while playing for
9477-603: The first round of the 1988 NBA playoffs to the Detroit Pistons , the Bullets fought back and forced a fifth game with two home wins. They would lose game 5 by 21 points. It would be nine seasons before Washington would return to the NBA Playoffs. The Bullets got off to a 5–1 start in 1988–89, but they lost 16 of 18 games from mid-December to mid-January. On January 6, 1989, the Bullets franchise played its first regular season game in Baltimore since 1973 ; this would be
9594-498: The first time the franchise had ever made the playoffs as the Wizards. With a 93–82 win over the Chicago Bulls on April 13, 2005, the Wizards clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 1996–97. Long-suffering fans celebrated by buying over 16,000 playoff tickets in two and a half hours the day tickets went on sale. In game three of the first round against the Bulls, the Wizards won their first playoff game since 1988. Adding to
9711-534: The floor while Brendan Haywood gave James a hard foul in the first quarter that many cited as the key to shaking up the rest of James's game. In game three at the Verizon Center, James hit a 4-footer on the way down with 5.7 seconds left to take the game and the series lead for the Cavs with a 97–96 win. Arenas missed a potential game-winning three-pointer on the other end to seal the win for the Cavs. Game 4 saw
9828-477: The following season for hope of improvement. Malone would lead the team in scoring with a 24.1 points per game as he would be joined by Jeff Malone who averaged 22.0 points per game. The Bullets' 42–40 record would be their last winning season until 1996–97 . Washington was eliminated by the Detroit Pistons in three games in the playoffs. Twelfth overall in the 1987 NBA draft , the Bullets selected Muggsy Bogues , who at 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm)
9945-804: The game in Mexico City between the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 4 never started due to a generator malfunction inside the Mexico City Arena , and was postponed to April 8, 2014, at the Target Center in Minneapolis . The 2014 NBA Global Games began in October with two San Antonio Spurs friendlies versus EuroLeague teams Alba Berlin and Fenerbahçe Ülker at Berlin and Istanbul respectively. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat played
10062-470: The game to overtime, where James scored with 0.9 seconds left to send the Cavs to a 121–120 win. The series returned to the Verizon Center for game six, where the game went back and forth all night. The Wizards blew a 14-point first-quarter lead, then for 24 minutes, from early in the second quarter to early in the fourth, neither team led by more than five points at any time. The Wizards blew a seven-point lead with just under five to play and needed Arenas to hit
10179-438: The game. Players were allowed to re-enter a game once from 1921, and twice from 1934; such restrictions on substitutions were abolished in 1945 when substitutions became unlimited. Coaching was originally prohibited during the game, but from 1949, coaches were allowed to address players during a time-out. Originally a player was disqualified on his second foul . This limit became four fouls in 1911 and five fouls in 1945, still
10296-404: The league in assists with 8.9 per game. Mureşan dominated the middle and led the NBA in field goal percentage (.599). Washington received contributions from Calbert Cheaney (10.6 ppg) and Tracy Murray (10.0 ppg). In November 1995, owner Abe Pollin announced he was changing the team's nickname, because Bullets had acquired violent overtones that had made him increasingly uncomfortable over
10413-472: The officials and table officials. The rules also cover officials' signals, the scoresheet, protest procedure, classification of teams and television timeouts . Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of
10530-545: The only NBA title won by the team as of 2024. In the 1978–79 season the Bullets moved to the Atlantic Division, capturing the title in their first season there. They entered the 1979 NBA playoffs having lost eight of the final 11 games to finish the regular season at 54–28. In the playoffs the Bullets nearly blew a 3–1 series lead against the Atlanta Hawks , but managed to hold off the Hawks in seven games. In
10647-406: The opposing team will be rewarded with a free throw, and possession of the ball as well. If a player, or coach gets two technical fouls in one game, it will result in an automatic ejection. Initially, basketball was played with an "ordinary association football (soccer ball), although the sport now uses its own ball . The goal is placed 10 feet (3.05 m) above the court. Originally a basket
10764-585: The organization changed its name to the Chicago Zephyrs and played its home games at the Chicago Coliseum (Saperstein's ABL Majors prevented the team from playing in the larger Chicago Stadium ). In their only season as the Zephyrs, former Purdue star Terry Dischinger was on the roster, and went on to win Rookie of the Year honors. In 1963 the franchise moved to Baltimore , Maryland, and became
10881-455: The other end of the court. In 1976, the NBA introduced a rule to allow teams to advance the ball to the center line following any legal time-out in the final two minutes of the game. FIBA followed suit in 2006. In 1981, the NCAA adopted the alternating possession system for all jump ball situations except the beginning of the game, and in 2003, FIBA adopted a similar rule, except for the start of
10998-401: The others as "referees"). Today, both classes of officials have equal rights to control all aspects of the game. The NBA added a third official in 1988, and FIBA did so afterward, using it for the first time in international competition in 2006. The use of video evidence to inform referee's decisions has always been banned, except in the case of determining whether or not the last shot of a period
11115-417: The playoffs for the eighth consecutive season. Washington, boasting the league's tallest player (Mureșan, whose height is 7 feet 7 inches or 231 centimetres), two very athletic forwards (Howard and Webber) and one of the league's top point guards ( Rod Strickland ), started the 1996–97 season at 22–24. That led to the dismissal of head coach Jim Lynam . Bernie Bickerstaff , an assistant coach with
11232-495: The rigors of an 82-game season. A combination of numerous team injuries and uninspired play led to Jordan's return to the starting lineup , where he tried to rebound the franchise from its early-season struggles. By the end of the season, the Wizards finished with a 37–45 record once again. Jordan ended the season as the only Wizard to play in all 82 games, as he averaged 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in 37.0 minutes per game. Jordan retired from playing for
11349-465: The season included the selection of Rasheed Wallace in the 1995 NBA draft and the All-Star play of Howard. Howard averaged a career-best 22.1 ppg and 8.1 rpg and kept the Bullets slim playoff hopes alive until the end of the season. Center Gheorghe Mureșan was named Most Improved Player of The Year, averaging 14.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks. The Bullets improved to 39–43 but just missed
11466-478: The season started out with promise, a shoulder injury to Chris Webber (ironically against the Warriors) caused him to miss 19 games, and the Bullets struggled through the rest of the season finishing a then franchise-worst (percentage-wise) 21–61. Webber averaged 20.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, but declined surgery for his dislocated shoulder. This would prove costly for the next season. The Bullets released
11583-486: The season's final day, the Bullets squeezed past Cleveland 85–81 to end the franchise's longest playoff drought. Whilst the Bullets were swept by the Bulls in the first round, they lost the three games by a total of 18 points. Webber led the way in scoring (20.1 ppg), rebounding (10.3) and blocks (1.9) and shot 51.8 percent from the floor to make his first All-Star team. Howard averaged 19.1 ppg and 8.0 rpg, while Strickland averaged 17.2 ppg and 1.74 spg and finished fifth in
11700-468: The season, the Bullets fired head coach K.C. Jones , despite having a career 62 percent winning percentage as the Bullets head coach. In 1976–77 , under new head coach Dick Motta , the Bullets again fell short of the Central Division title for the second straight year. Elvin Hayes finished sixth in the league in rebounds with 12.5 rebounds per game. After opening the 1977 NBA playoffs with
11817-411: The shot clock expired while the ball is in the air constituted a violation. In 2003 the rule was changed so that the ball remains live in this situation, as long as it touched the rim. If the ball touches the rim and slightly bounces over the basketball hoop it will be called as a loose ball. Dribbling was not part of the original game, but was introduced in 1901. At the time, a player could only bounce
11934-582: The suspension/termination of all mainland Chinese sponsors of the NBA. While the NBA has not returned to China since the controversy, Adam Silver has stated that the league intends to return when possible. Following years of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the NBA Global Games returned for the 2022–23 season with two regular season matchups. The NBA Mexico City Game 2022 will see the Heat face
12051-477: The team was 39–35 and looking to close in on the 45-win mark achieved the previous year, until Butler suffered a thumb sprain and the Wizards lost all five games without him. Butler returned and the team pulled out their final three games, against the Pistons, Cavaliers and Bucks, all playoff-bound teams, to finish the year at 42–40 and clinch the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference . They averaged 101.7 points
12168-505: The team with 17.4 ppg. In the 2000–01 season , under newly hired coach Leonard Hamilton , 1999 NBA draft pick Richard Hamilton led the team in scoring with 18.1 ppg, but the team finished with a 19–63 record, the most losses the team had ever suffered in one season. On February 23, 2001, the Wizards were involved in a blockbuster trade days before the trading deadline. The team sent Juwan Howard , Obinna Ekezie and Calvin Booth to
12285-426: The team's first-round draft pick on high schooler Kwame Brown . The Wizards replaced Jordan's managerial role with general manager Ernie Grunfeld . Without Jordan in the fold the following year, the Washington Wizards were not expected to win, and they did not. Despite the signing of future All-Star point guard Gilbert Arenas , in a move that was ironically made possible by Jordan's prior cap-clearing maneuvers as
12402-551: The third period and overtime. In 2004, the rule was changed in FIBA that the arrow applies for all situations after the opening tap. The most recent international rules of basketball were approved 2 February 2014 by FIBA and became effective 1 October of that year. There are eight rules encompassing 50 articles, covering equipment and facilities, regulations regarding teams, players, captains and coaches, playing regulations, violations, fouls and their penalties, special situations, and
12519-585: The tweet included the decision by China Central Television to cancel the broadcasting of two NBA preseason games, pro-Hong Kong protest demonstrations held at preseason games in the United States involving teams from the Chinese Basketball Association, the cancellation of NBA Cares community events in Shanghai, criticism by then-president Donald Trump of the perceived double standards by the reactions of specific coaches to NBA response relative to their past criticisms of his policies, and
12636-481: The years, particularly given the high homicide and crime rate in the early 1990s in Washington, D.C. The name change was widely and incorrectly believed to be related to the assassination of Pollin's longtime friend, Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin . A contest was held to choose a new name and the choices were narrowed to the Dragons , Express , Stallions , Sea Dogs , and the Wizards . On May 15, 1997,
12753-467: Was attempted before time expired. This exception was introduced by the NBA in 2002 and adopted by FIBA in 2006. The NCAA, however, has permitted instant replay for timing, the value of a field goal (two or three points), shot clock violations, and for purposes of disqualifying players because of unsportsmanlike conduct. The NBA changed its rules starting in 2007 to allow officials the ability to view instant replay with plays involving flagrant fouls, similar to
12870-889: Was discontinued in 1999. The first regular season NBA games outside North America were held in Tokyo, Japan in 1990, with the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz splitting the two-game series. Since then four other editions of the NBA Japan Games were held, with the last games being played in Saitama in 2003. In 1991, the Miami Heat and the Washington Bullets played a preseason game in Nassau, Bahamas , marking
12987-440: Was filled with ups and downs. During the off-season, Washington acquired Caron Butler and Antonio Daniels . During the regular season, the Wizards again had the best scoring trio in the NBA, this time consisting of Arenas, Jamison and Butler as the "Big Three". The Wizards started the 2005–06 season at 5–1, but went on an 8–17 funk to go to 13–18 through 31 games. Then, they went 13–5 in the next eighteen games. On April 5, 2006,
13104-410: Was first introduced by the NBA in 1954, to increase the speed of play. Teams were then required to attempt a shot within 24 seconds of gaining possession, and the shot clock would be reset when the ball touched the basket's rim or the backboard, or the opponents gained possession. FIBA adopted a 30-second shot clock two years later, resetting the clock when a shot was attempted. Women's basketball adopted
13221-490: Was legal. Naismith's original 1892 manuscript of the rules of basketball, one of the most expensive manuscripts in existence , is publicly displayed at Allen Fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Kansas . Naismith was the first coach in the history of Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball . Naismith's original rules did not specify how many players were to be on the court. In 1900, five players became standard, and players that were substituted were not allowed to re-enter
13338-694: Was named the league Rookie of the Year, but the team finished with the NBA's worst record at 18–62. The team's original name was a reference to Chicago's meatpacking industry; their home arena, the International Amphitheater , was next door to the Union Stock Yards . However, it was extremely unpopular since it was the same name used by the NFL's Green Bay Packers , bitter rivals of the Chicago Bears . After only one year,
13455-418: Was returning "for the love of the game". Because of NBA rules, he had to divest himself of any ownership of the team. Before the All-Star break, Jordan was one of only two players to average more than 25 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds as he led the Wizards to a 26–21 record. After the All-Star break, Jordan's knee could not handle the workload of a full-season as he ended the season on the injured list, and
13572-421: Was still used to start the game and every period, and to restart the game after a held ball. However, the NBA stopped using the jump ball to start the second through fourth quarters in 1975, instead using a quarter-possession system where the loser of the jump ball takes the ball from the other end to start the second and third periods, while the winner of that jump ball takes the ball to start the fourth period from
13689-588: Was used (thus "basket-ball"), so the ball had to be retrieved after each made shot. Today a hoop with an open-bottom hanging net is used instead. In the Men's leagues, such as the NBA, men's college basketball, and high school, they use a size seven basketball. This is a ball with a 29.5 inch circumference weighing 22 oz. In the Women's basketball leagues, such as the WNBA, women's college basketball, and high school, they use
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