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Plymouth Raiders

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128-751: Plymouth Raiders are a basketball team based in Plymouth , England , currently competing in Division 3 of the National Basketball League . Founded in 1983 through a merger between two local basketball clubs, Raiders were a formidable force within the National Basketball League throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, winning no less than six national trophies between 1996 and 2004 including three National Basketball League Play-off titles, two Division 1 league titles and

256-401: A backboard at each end of the court), while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own hoop. A field goal is worth two points, unless made from behind the three-point line , when it is worth three. After a foul, timed play stops and the player fouled or designated to shoot a technical foul is given one, two or three one-point free throws . The team with the most points at

384-613: A 103–49 victory over Plymouth at the NIA in Birmingham. At the end of January Coach Stronach announced the signing of Gerald Robinson , an American with a Dutch passport, from Spanish team Oviedo. A week later, Gavin Love announced he was to retire from playing after 13 years with the Raiders, citing multiple injuries as the reason. In honour of his services to the club, his number six jersey

512-464: A Sheffield team who would be crowned as Carlsberg League champions the following year. Fleming's tenure lasted only a season as he left to join the Chester Jets and was replaced by long-serving player Gary Stronach, who assumed the role of player/coach. In 1998 the Raiders lost the league, trophy and NBL Final to Richmond Jaguars . The 1998–99 season saw the Raiders and Solent Stars finishing

640-404: A backboard that measures 6 by 3.5 feet (1.8 by 1.1 meters) and one basket is at each end of the court. The white outlined box on the backboard is 18 inches (46 cm) high and 2 feet (61 cm) wide. At almost all levels of competition, the top of the rim is exactly 10 feet (3.05 meters) above the court and 4 feet (1.22 meters) inside the baseline. While variation is possible in the dimensions of

768-495: A basket mounted on a wall. Naismith wrote the basic rules and nailed a peach basket onto an elevated track. Naismith initially set up the peach basket with its bottom intact, which meant that the ball had to be retrieved manually after each "basket" or point scored. This quickly proved tedious, so Naismith removed the bottom of the basket to allow the balls to be poked out with a long dowel after each scored basket. Shortly after, Senda Berenson , instructor of physical culture at

896-584: A bigger budget in terms of recruiting, and within days the signing of Kwbana Beckles was publicised. Beckles came with plenty of pedigree having appeared in Sweden , Switzerland , Israel and spells for NBA teams Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors . Veteran player DeAntoine Beasley took up the new dual role as player/assistant coach, declining a coaching job in the USA while captain Gavin Love, who missed much of

1024-501: A children's game called duck on a rock , as many had failed before it. Frank Mahan, one of the players from the original first game, approached Naismith after the Christmas break, in early 1892, asking him what he intended to call his new game. Naismith replied that he had not thought of it because he had been focused on just getting the game started. Mahan suggested that it be called "Naismith ball", at which he laughed, saying that

1152-405: A dribble, the player cannot carry the ball by placing their hand on the bottom of the ball; doing so is known as carrying the ball . A team, once having established ball control in the front half of their court, may not return the ball to the backcourt and be the first to touch it. A violation of these rules results in loss of possession. The ball may not be kicked, nor be struck with the fist. For

1280-570: A force within UK basketball with some of the BBL's most exciting players representing the club - Donte Nicholas, Rashad Hassan, Josh Wilcher, Joonas Jarvelianen and led by club captain Zak Wells. Raiders also fostered new talent by recruiting Denzel Ubiaro in 2017 who remained with the club for 4 years as he pursued his studies via Marjon. The community pathway projects accelerated during this period including

1408-466: A half-time break under FIBA, NBA, and NCAA rules and 10 minutes in United States high schools. Overtime periods are five minutes in length except for high school, which is four minutes in length. Teams exchange baskets for the second half. The time allowed is actual playing time; the clock is stopped while the play is not active. Therefore, games generally take much longer to complete than

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1536-512: A name like that would kill any game. Mahan then said, "Why not call it basketball?" Naismith replied, "We have a basket and a ball, and it seems to me that would be a good name for it." The first official game was played in the YMCA gymnasium in Albany , New York, on January 20, 1892, with nine players. The game ended at 1–0; the shot was made from 25 feet (7.6 m), on a court just half the size of

1664-414: A player must have either: Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court , compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately 9.4 inches (24 cm) in diameter) through the defender's hoop (a basket 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter mounted 10 feet (3.048 m) high to

1792-441: A present-day Streetball or National Basketball Association (NBA) court. At the time, soccer was being played with 10 to a team (which was increased to 11). When winter weather got too icy to play soccer, teams were taken indoors, and it was convenient to have them split in half and play basketball with five on each side. By 1897–98, teams of five became standard. Basketball's early adherents were dispatched to YMCAs throughout

1920-503: A row and by December found themselves joint top of the BBL. In the BBL Trophy final, at Newcastle 's MetroRadio Arena on 4 March 2007, Raiders defeated Newcastle Eagles 74–65 to win their first top-flight title. In the league, Raiders constantly held a Play-off position for the majority of the season and though qualifying with ease, just missed out on home advantage with a 5th-place finish. A journey into uncharted territory awaited

2048-506: A series of venues, including Catholic University , Georgetown and George Mason . The National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament for Black High Schools was held from 1929 to 1942 at Hampton Institute . The National Invitational Interscholastic Basketball Tournament was held from 1941 to 1967 starting out at Tuskegee Institute . Following a pause during World War II it resumed at Tennessee State College in Nashville. The basis for

2176-420: A sponsorship offer and investment that enabled the club to survive its second financial crisis in six years. In the summer of 1993, head coach Bob Karruck announced his retirement and was replaced by his assistant Vic Fleming, who led the team to the 1994 National Trophy Final. Raiders were pitted against Sheffield Forgers at their home Sheffield Arena and, despite a spirited performance, they lost by 60–62 to

2304-423: A standard uniform consists of a pair of shorts and a jersey with a clearly visible number, unique within the team, printed on both the front and back. Players wear high-top sneakers that provide extra ankle support. Typically, team names, players' names and, outside of North America, sponsors are printed on the uniforms. A limited number of time-outs, clock stoppages requested by a coach (or sometimes mandated in

2432-490: A teammate's field goal attempt. Goaltending is a defender's touching of a ball that is on a downward flight toward the basket, while the related violation of basket interference is the touching of a ball that is on the rim or above the basket, or by a player reaching through the basket from below. Goaltending and basket interference committed by a defender result in awarding the basket to the offense, while basket interference committed by an offensive player results in cancelling

2560-591: A total of three referees on the court. The table officials are responsible for keeping track of each team's scoring, timekeeping, individual and team fouls , player substitutions, team possession arrow , and the shot clock . The only essential equipment in a basketball game is the ball and the court: a flat, rectangular surface with baskets at opposite ends. Competitive levels require the use of more equipment such as clocks, score sheets, scoreboards, alternating possession arrows, and whistle-operated stop-clock systems. A regulation basketball court in international games

2688-562: A touring Canadian women's team based in Edmonton , Alberta, operated between 1915 and 1940. The Grads toured all over North America, and were exceptionally successful. They posted a record of 522 wins and only 20 losses over that span, as they met any team that wanted to challenge them, funding their tours from gate receipts. The Grads also shone on several exhibition trips to Europe, and won four consecutive exhibition Olympics tournaments, in 1924, 1928, 1932, and 1936; however, women's basketball

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2816-627: A winter season (April–September) and did so until the completion of the 20th season in 1998 . The 1998–99 season, which commenced only months later, was the first season after the shift to the current summer season format (October–April). This shift was an attempt to avoid competing directly against Australia's various football codes . It features 8 teams from around Australia and one in New Zealand. A few players including Luc Longley , Andrew Gaze , Shane Heal , Chris Anstey and Andrew Bogut made it big internationally, becoming poster figures for

2944-492: Is 28 meters (92 feet) long and 15 meters (49 feet) wide. In the NBA and NCAA the court is 94 by 50 feet (29 by 15 meters). Most courts have wood flooring , usually constructed from maple planks running in the same direction as the longer court dimension. The name and logo of the home team is usually painted on or around the center circle. The basket is a steel rim 18 inches (46 cm) diameter with an attached net affixed to

3072-453: Is called a shot. A successful shot is worth two points, or three points if it is taken from beyond the three-point arc 6.75 meters (22 ft 2 in) from the basket in international games and 23 feet 9 inches (7.24 m) in NBA games. A one-point shot can be earned when shooting from the foul line after a foul is made. After a team has scored from a field goal or free throw, play

3200-585: Is currently no tournament to determine a national high school champion. The most serious effort was the National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament at the University of Chicago from 1917 to 1930. The event was organized by Amos Alonzo Stagg and sent invitations to state champion teams. The tournament started out as a mostly Midwest affair but grew. In 1929 it had 29 state champions. Faced with opposition from

3328-430: Is out of bounds if it touches a boundary line, or touches any player or object that is out of bounds. There are limits placed on the steps a player may take without dribbling, which commonly results in an infraction known as traveling . Nor may a player stop their dribble and then resume dribbling. A dribble that touches both hands is considered stopping the dribble, giving this infraction the name double dribble . Within

3456-453: Is resumed with a throw-in awarded to the non-scoring team taken from a point beyond the endline of the court where the points were scored. Games are played in four quarters of 10 ( FIBA ) or 12 minutes (NBA). College men's games use two 20-minute halves, college women's games use 10-minute quarters, and most United States high school varsity games use 8-minute quarters; however, this varies from state to state. 15 minutes are allowed for

3584-593: Is the WNBA ( NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship is also popular), whereas the strongest European clubs participate in the EuroLeague Women . A game similar to basketball is mentioned in a 1591 book published in Frankfurt am Main that reports on the lifestyles and customs of coastal North American residents, Wahrhafftige Abconterfaytung der Wilden (German; translates as Truthful Depictions of

3712-421: Is to move to a new purpose-built arena that would be solely owned by the organisation and would be more suited to hosting European competition. In 2021 the Raiders were forced to withdraw from the 2021/22 season due to an increase in the rent for use of Plymouth Pavilions. Plymouth City Council continues to work with Plymouth Raiders to find a solution, with longer-term plans to build a multi-sport arena which has

3840-599: Is usually the center , the second-tallest and strongest is the power forward , a slightly shorter but more agile player is the small forward , and the shortest players or the best ball handlers are the shooting guard and the point guard , who implement the coach's game plan by managing the execution of offensive and defensive plays (player positioning). Informally, players may play three-on-three, two-on-two, and one-on-one. Invented in 1891 by Canadian-American gym teacher James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts , in

3968-639: The 1979–80 season . Known as Plymouth Panasonic, due to sponsorship reasons, and coached by future Raiders co-founder Frank Pocock, the team achieved a 7th-place finish in Division Two before withdrawing after just one season due to a lack of finances. Kanaries continued to have success in the Southern League and went on to win the Founders' Cup – a nationwide competition for non-national league teams – in 1983 after defeating local rivals Plympton in

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4096-473: The 2004 Athens Olympics , the United States suffered its first Olympic loss while using professional players, falling to Puerto Rico (in a 19-point loss) and Lithuania in group games, and being eliminated in the semifinals by Argentina . It eventually won the bronze medal defeating Lithuania, finishing behind Argentina and Italy . The Redeem Team , won gold at the 2008 Olympics , and the B-Team, won gold at

4224-513: The 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey despite featuring no players from the 2008 squad. The United States continued its dominance as they won gold at the 2012 Olympics , 2014 FIBA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics . Worldwide, basketball tournaments are held for boys and girls of all age levels. The global popularity of the sport is reflected in the nationalities represented in the NBA. Players from all six inhabited continents currently play in

4352-541: The 2017–18 season . Following on from this, the owners introduced a brand new logo to form part of a re-branding of the club. Harnessing its position as the 2nd oldest club in UK basketball history, the Plymouth Raiders maintained their home venue of 20 years at the Plymouth Pavilions, operating and competing successfully throughout this period from 2017 to 2020, establishing the club once again as

4480-517: The All American Red Heads Team , which competed against men's teams, using men's rules. By 1938, the women's national championship changed from a three-court game to two-court game with six players per team . The NBA-backed Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) began in 1997. Though it had shaky attendance figures, several marquee players ( Lisa Leslie , Diana Taurasi , and Candace Parker among others) have helped

4608-732: The EuroLeague and the Basketball Champions League Americas . The FIBA Basketball World Cup and Men's Olympic Basketball Tournament are the major international events of the sport and attract top national teams from around the world. Each continent hosts regional competitions for national teams, like EuroBasket and FIBA AmeriCup . The FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup and Women's Olympic Basketball Tournament feature top national teams from continental championships. The main North American league

4736-742: The National Cup in 2004. After years of dominating the second-tier National Basketball League (later rebranded to English Basketball League in 2003), the Raiders moved to the franchise-based professional British Basketball League (BBL) in 2004, playing amongst the United Kingdom's elite teams. Their only silverware in the top-tier came in 2007, winning the BBL Trophy , though the team would reach three further BBL Trophy finals and two BBL Cup finals between 2009 and 2021, without further success. The Raiders announced their withdrawal from

4864-682: The National Federation of State High School Associations and North Central Association of Colleges and Schools that bore a threat of the schools losing their accreditation the last tournament was in 1930. The organizations said they were concerned that the tournament was being used to recruit professional players from the prep ranks. The tournament did not invite minority schools or private/parochial schools. The National Catholic Interscholastic Basketball Tournament ran from 1924 to 1941 at Loyola University . The National Catholic Invitational Basketball Tournament from 1954 to 1978 played at

4992-822: The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in New York, was organized in 1938; the NCAA national tournament began one year later. College basketball was rocked by gambling scandals from 1948 to 1951 , when dozens of players from top teams were implicated in game-fixing and point shaving . Partially spurred by an association with cheating, the NIT lost support to the NCAA tournament. Before widespread school district consolidation, most American high schools were far smaller than their present-day counterparts. During

5120-782: The Original Celtics and two all-African American teams, the New York Renaissance Five ("Rens") and the (still existing) Harlem Globetrotters played up to two hundred games a year on their national tours. In 1946, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) was formed. The first game was played in Toronto , Ontario, Canada between the Toronto Huskies and New York Knickerbockers on November 1, 1946. Three seasons later, in 1949,

5248-572: The Soviet Union , Brazil and Australia rivaling the American squads. In 1989, FIBA allowed professional NBA players to participate in the Olympics for the first time. Prior to the 1992 Summer Olympics , only European and South American teams were allowed to field professionals in the Olympics. The United States' dominance continued with the introduction of the original Dream Team . In

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5376-400: The University of Chicago , Columbia University , Cornell University , Dartmouth College , the University of Minnesota , the U.S. Naval Academy , the University of Colorado and Yale University began sponsoring men's games. In 1905, frequent injuries on the football field prompted President Theodore Roosevelt to suggest that colleges form a governing body, resulting in the creation of

5504-478: The University of Chicago , while Adolph Rupp , a student of Naismith's at Kansas, enjoyed great success as coach at the University of Kentucky . On February 9, 1895, the first intercollegiate 5-on-5 game was played at Hamline University between Hamline and the School of Agriculture, which was affiliated with the University of Minnesota . The School of Agriculture won in a 9–3 game. In 1901, colleges, including

5632-487: The Wrigley's company) to form a consortium in 1983 and merged the two teams together. The new club was accepted into Division Two of the National Basketball League for the 1983–84 season . A sponsorship deal was arranged with pharmaceutical producer Farley Health, and the team adopted their brand colours of red and yellow and the sponsor name Glucodin, after one of their leading products. Several nicknames were considered for

5760-608: The 2003–2004 season which saw the club accept an invitation to appear in the BBL Trophy for a second time, adding to a tough schedule including the league (now reverted to EBL Division 1 ), the National Trophy and the National Cup, which for the first time in history didn't feature any BBL teams. Progress through the National Cup provided interest early in the season, and the Final was reached with Teesside Mohawks providing

5888-546: The 2016–17 season, 980,673 boys and girls represented their schools in interscholastic basketball competition, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations . The states of Illinois , Indiana and Kentucky are particularly well known for their residents' devotion to high school basketball, commonly called Hoosier Hysteria in Indiana; the critically acclaimed film Hoosiers shows high school basketball's depth of meaning to these communities. ⁣There

6016-463: The 3rd place game on 4 May 2008, and though losing 54–33 at half-time, edged out their opponents in a tight 96–92 victory taking 3rd place, the best league position in the club's history. With an average of 19 points-per-game, Plymouth's top scorer Andrew Lasker was named in the All-Star team for the 2007–08 season . After being declined by Newcastle and Guildford – who both finished above Plymouth in

6144-599: The BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). By the 1950s, basketball had become a major college sport, thus paving the way for a growth of interest in professional basketball. In 1959, a basketball hall of fame was founded in Springfield , Massachusetts, site of the first game. Its rosters include the names of great players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed significantly to

6272-661: The British Basketball League following the 2020–21 season attributing to increasing rental costs of their long-time home venue, the Plymouth Pavilions , After a two year hiatus, Raiders announced their relaunch in 2023, entering as a new addition of the National Basketball League for the 2023–24 season, featuring in Division 3. The origins of the Raiders organisation can be traced back to two local amateur basketball teams, Plymouth Kanaries and Plympton Basketball Club, both of which were founded in

6400-555: The CVL/Youth Development League which were formed providing basketball learning opportunities to hundreds of school age young people across the city. Foxy's Little Ballers brought basketball to juniors in an ever expanding programme catering for all groups and early years learners. Commercially the club had achieved the largest following from within the business community in its 35-year history. During this period, plans were put in motion to identify solutions for

6528-533: The Conference of Physical Training in Springfield to draw up general rules for women's basketball. Thus, the sport quickly spread throughout America's schools, colleges and universities with uniform rules for both sexes. Basketball was originally played with a soccer ball . These round balls from " association football " were made, at the time, with a set of laces to close off the hole needed for inserting

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6656-492: The G League has 31 teams. FIBA (International Basketball Federation) was formed in 1932 by eight founding nations: Argentina , Czechoslovakia , Greece , Italy , Latvia , Portugal , Romania and Switzerland . At this time, the organization only oversaw amateur players. Its acronym, derived from the French Fédération Internationale de Basket-ball Amateur , was thus "FIBA". Men's basketball

6784-665: The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS). In 1910, that body changed its name to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The first Canadian interuniversity basketball game was played at YMCA in Kingston , Ontario on February 6, 1904, when McGill University  – Naismith's alma mater – visited Queen's University . McGill won 9–7 in overtime;

6912-647: The Mayflower Centre, now with a brand new roof, in January 1992 and made a brief return to the Play-offs before bowing out to League Runners-up Bury Lobos in the semi-final. By late 1992, with no major sponsor in place, the Raiders faced more financial troubles and an uncertain future. Following the help of a local newspaper campaign in the Evening Herald , Wolferstan's Solicitors came forward with

7040-510: The Miss Head's School. In 1899, a committee was established at the Conference of Physical Training in Springfield to draw up general rules for women's basketball. These rules, designed by Berenson, were published in 1899. In 1902 Berenson became the editor of A. G. Spalding 's first Women's Basketball Guide. The same year women of Mount Holyoke and Sophie Newcomb College (coached by Clara Gregory Baer ), began playing basketball. By 1895,

7168-484: The NBA) for a short meeting with the players, are allowed. They generally last no longer than one minute (100 seconds in the NBA) unless, for televised games, a commercial break is needed. The game is controlled by the officials consisting of the referee (referred to as crew chief in the NBA), one or two umpires (referred to as referees in the NBA) and the table officials. For college, the NBA, and many high schools, there are

7296-404: The NBA, and U Sports (Canadian universities) play for both sexes, and 30 seconds in NCAA play for both sexes), holding the ball while closely guarded (5 seconds), and remaining in the restricted area known as the free-throw lane, (or the " key ") (3 seconds). These rules are designed to promote more offense. There are also limits on how players may block an opponent's field goal attempt or help

7424-704: The NBA. Top international players began coming into the NBA in the mid-1990s, including Croatians Dražen Petrović and Toni Kukoč , Serbian Vlade Divac , Lithuanians Arvydas Sabonis and Šarūnas Marčiulionis , Dutchman Rik Smits and German Detlef Schrempf . In the Philippines, the Philippine Basketball Association 's first game was played on April 9, 1975, at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao , Quezon City , Philippines. It

7552-403: The Play-offs with fives games left of the regular season. Two weeks later it was announced by the club that after 24 years of service Gary Stronach was to step down as head coach at the end of the season. Coming as a shock to many fans, Stronach cited the reason for his departure was that "it's time for me to move on, broaden the horizon and see what's out there." The club started preparations for

7680-509: The Plymouth Raiders management and Assistant Coach Danny McGee oversaw the recruitment of 25 aspiring elite athletes joining the Raiders Elite University programme. In February 2020 MLA College, under educational business BAU Global, purchased a 60% ownership share of the club. Enver Yucel visited Plymouth on 16 February to present his vision. MLA College were keen to continue the club's rich history, to bring silverware to

7808-610: The Plymouth Raiders reached the BBL Trophy Final, losing 88/82 to London Lions. On 8 July 2021, it was announced that Plymouth Raiders would withdraw from the British Basketball League for the 2021/22 season. The naming and branding rights of the Plymouth Raiders were bought back by previous co-owner Ross Mackenzie in an open auction. Plymouth Raiders have played their home games at the Plymouth Pavilions arena since 1996. In basketball configuration

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7936-528: The Plymouth team appearing in their first BBL Play-offs, however it was also a long journey to face opponents Scottish Rocks , as the league's most Southern and Northern teams met in the one-off clash. A dream first appearance to the Finals Weekend for Raiders was dashed by a 6-point defeat, 83–77, but a huge worry was an in-game injury to captain Gavin Love's Achilles tendon, which subsequently forced

8064-688: The Point Guard to miss a call-up to the Great Britain national team . At the end of season awards, Raiders "big-man" Aaron was named in the All-Star first team and 4th in the MVP ballot, finishing the season on 17 points-per-game, 12.4 rebounds-per-game and a field goal scoring average of 59%. On 1 May, the Raiders development programme was awarded with the prestigious Club Mark accolade by Sport England and England Basketball . With such an excellent season under his belt, star man Carlton Aaron departed

8192-593: The Savages : "Among other things, a game of skill is described in which balls must be thrown against a target woven from twigs, mounted high on a pole. There's a small reward for the player if the target is being hit." In December 1891, James Naismith , a Canadian-American professor of physical education and instructor at the International Young Men's Christian Association Training School (now Springfield College ) in Springfield, Massachusetts ,

8320-680: The Semi-finals and Stockport Belgrade in the Final; earning a 76–64 home win in the first leg at the Mayflower Centre , Plymouth sealed the title with a comfortable 90–76 away win in the second leg on 26 March 1983, to win 166–140 on aggregate . Having previously attempted to re-join the national leagues, the Kanaries – led by Pocock and Bob Karruck – joined forces with Plympton's Dave Mills and local basketball figures including Martyn Moon, Keith Mollard and businessman Les Palmer (of

8448-427: The United Kingdom's highest level basketball competition. Canadian Ryan French, along with Gerrick Morris and Jeff Danchie, were brought in as new signings to strengthen the roster who had won the Division 1 title in the previous season. Raiders played their first BBL game on 2 October 2004, winning 63–46 against visitors Milton Keynes Lions at the Plymouth Pavilions. During the 2006–07 season they won eight games in

8576-428: The United States, and it quickly spread through the United States and Canada. By 1895, it was well established at several women's high schools. While YMCA was responsible for initially developing and spreading the game, within a decade it discouraged the new sport, as rough play and rowdy crowds began to detract from YMCA's primary mission. However, other amateur sports clubs, colleges, and professional clubs quickly filled

8704-459: The United States, basketball has evolved to become one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sports. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the most significant professional basketball league in the world in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition (drawing most of its talent from U.S. college basketball ). Outside North America, the top clubs from national leagues qualify to continental championships such as

8832-403: The WNBA to break even this year." Measurements and time limits discussed in this section often vary among tournaments and organizations; international and NBA rules are used in this section. The object of the game is to outscore one's opponents by throwing the ball through the opponents' basket from above while preventing the opponents from doing so on their own. An attempt to score in this way

8960-407: The allotted game time, typically about two hours. Five players from each team may be on the court at one time. Substitutions are unlimited but can only be done when play is stopped. Teams also have a coach, who oversees the development and strategies of the team, and other team personnel such as assistant coaches, managers, statisticians, doctors and trainers. For both men's and women's teams,

9088-415: The ball from a dribbler, intercept passes, or block shots; either offense or defense may collect a rebound , that is, a missed shot that bounces from rim or backboard. It is a violation to lift or drag one's pivot foot without dribbling the ball , to carry it, or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling . The five players on each side fall into five playing positions . The tallest player

9216-490: The basket if one is scored. The defense gains possession in all cases of goaltending or basket interference. An attempt to unfairly disadvantage an opponent through certain types of physical contact is illegal and is called a personal foul. These are most commonly committed by defensive players; however, they can be committed by offensive players as well. Players who are fouled either receive the ball to pass inbounds again, or receive one or more free throws if they are fouled in

9344-414: The basketball is also regulated. For men, the official ball is 29.5 inches (75 cm) in circumference (size 7, or a "295 ball") and weighs 22 oz (620 g). If women are playing, the official basketball size is 28.5 inches (72 cm) in circumference (size 6, or a "285 ball") with a weight of 20 oz (570 g). In 3x3 , a formalized version of the halfcourt 3-on-3 game, a dedicated ball with

9472-402: The capacity to deliver a venue for spectator events and act as a home for Plymouth Raiders. Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA -sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed. Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA -sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed. To appear in this section

9600-516: The champion dwindled after 1954 when Brown v. Board of Education began an integration of schools. The last tournaments were held at Alabama State College from 1964 to 1967. Teams abounded throughout the 1920s. There were hundreds of men's professional basketball teams in towns and cities all over the United States, and little organization of the professional game. Players jumped from team to team and teams played in armories and smoky dance halls. Leagues came and went. Barnstorming squads such as

9728-419: The circumference of a size 6 ball but the weight of a size 7 ball is used in all competitions (men's, women's, and mixed teams). The ball may be advanced toward the basket by being shot, passed between players, thrown, tapped, rolled or dribbled (bouncing the ball while running). The ball must stay within the court; the last team to touch the ball before it travels out of bounds forfeits possession. The ball

9856-849: The city, and strive to see the Raiders one day competing in European competition. The following season under the new Raiders owner - 2020/21 - the BBL instructed all teams to play behind closed doors during the Covid pandemic and the BBL were the only indoor sport that operated during this unprecedented season. The Raiders finished in their highest BBL finish in 3rd position with a win/loss record - W21 L9, finishing behind London Lions in 2nd and Champions Leicester Riders. Raiders players during this season included Team GB star Ashley Hamilton, fellow Brits Will Neighbour, Denzel Ubiaro and Andrew Lawrence (injured), Elvisi Dusha with US imports Rickey McGill, Chris Porter Bunton Mike Morsell and Prince Ibeh. In March 2021,

9984-528: The club's long-term future that would be secured via the model of venue ownership as per Leicester and Newcastle's respective arenas. Club Director/Co Owner Richard Mollard had presented detailed plans to Plymouth City Council and led a consortium of partners to explore the potential for a new venue. These plans continue to provide the blue print for a future venue. During the 2018/19 season, the Marjon University programme expanded expontentially under

10112-439: The court and backboard, it is considered important for the basket to be of the correct height – a rim that is off by just a few inches can have an adverse effect on shooting. The net must "check the ball momentarily as it passes through the basket" to aid the visual confirmation that the ball went through. The act of checking the ball has the further advantage of slowing down the ball so the rebound does not go as far. The size of

10240-626: The development of the game. The hall of fame has people who have accomplished many goals in their career in basketball. An upstart organization, the American Basketball Association , emerged in 1967 and briefly threatened the NBA's dominance until the ABA-NBA merger in 1976. Today the NBA is the top professional basketball league in the world in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition. The NBA has featured many famous players, including George Mikan ,

10368-420: The end of the game wins, but if regulation play expires with the score tied, an additional period of play ( overtime ) is mandated. Players advance the ball by bouncing it while walking or running (dribbling) or by passing it to a teammate, both of which require considerable skill. On offense, players may use a variety of shots – the layup , the jump shot , or a dunk ; on defense, they may steal

10496-833: The ending of the game was replayed three times until the Soviet Union finally came out on top. In 1950 the first FIBA World Championship for men, now known as the FIBA Basketball World Cup , was held in Argentina. Three years later, the first FIBA World Championship for women, now known as the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup , was held in Chile. Women's basketball was added to the Olympics in 1976, which were held in Montreal , Quebec, Canada with teams such as

10624-478: The first decades of the 20th century, basketball quickly became the ideal interscholastic sport due to its modest equipment and personnel requirements. In the days before widespread television coverage of professional and college sports, the popularity of high school basketball was unrivaled in many parts of America. Perhaps the most legendary of high school teams was Indiana's Franklin Wonder Five , which took

10752-866: The first dominating "big man"; ball-handling wizard Bob Cousy and defensive genius Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics ; charismatic center Wilt Chamberlain , who originally played for the barnstorming Harlem Globetrotters ; all-around stars Oscar Robertson and Jerry West ; more recent big men Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Shaquille O'Neal , Hakeem Olajuwon and Karl Malone ; playmakers John Stockton , Isiah Thomas and Steve Nash ; crowd-pleasing forwards Julius Erving and Charles Barkley ; European stars Dirk Nowitzki , Pau Gasol and Tony Parker ; Latin American stars Manu Ginobili , more recent superstars, Allen Iverson , Kobe Bryant , Tim Duncan , LeBron James , Stephen Curry , Giannis Antetokounmpo , etc.; and

10880-521: The first time in the franchise's history. The season was completed with an excellent run in the Play-offs sweeping aside Sutton (98–68) and Manchester Magic (162–155 over two games), before commanding an 83–77 defeat on Worthing at Wembley Arena and claiming the Championship double. After two seasons in Portugal, Terrence Durham's return was the only adjustment in a largely unchanged roster for

11008-457: The first-ever rights fees to be paid to a women's professional sports league. Over the eight years of the contract, "millions and millions of dollars" were "dispersed to the league's teams." In a March 12, 2009, article, NBA commissioner David Stern said that in the bad economy, "the NBA is far less profitable than the WNBA. We're losing a lot of money among a large number of teams. We're budgeting

11136-399: The following day. Plymouth's first home game took place on 1 October, at the Mayflower Centre , with a further 75–76 defeat to the visiting Merseyside Mustangs. American Dave Lutz, formerly of East Stroudsburg University , made an immediate impact scoring 116 points in the first three games. After an inconsistent start to the campaign, coach Graham Nicholls stepped down from his position and

11264-425: The game had spread to colleges across the country, including Wellesley , Vassar , and Bryn Mawr . The first intercollegiate women's game was on April 4, 1896. Stanford women played Berkeley , 9-on-9, ending in a 2–1 Stanford victory. Women's basketball development was more structured than that for men in the early years. In 1905, the executive committee on Basket Ball Rules (National Women's Basketball Committee)

11392-400: The hands of Sheffield Sharks saw injuries to Andrew Lasker, Anthony Martin and Terrence Durham. In April 2009 it was announced that Andrew Lasker had made the team of the season. In summer 2009 Stronach revealed that the player's budget had been cut by 60–65% for the coming season, citing the economic climate and a lack of sponsorship as the main reasons for the cuts. In June 2009 Allister Gall

11520-489: The inflatable bladder after the other sewn-together segments of the ball's cover had been flipped outside-in. These laces could cause bounce passes and dribbling to be unpredictable. Eventually a lace-free ball construction method was invented, and this change to the game was endorsed by Naismith (whereas in American football , the lace construction proved to be advantageous for gripping and remains to this day). The first balls made specifically for basketball were brown, and it

11648-420: The late 1960s. Formed in 1968, Plympton had established themselves as a formidable force in the region, winning the local Plymouth & District League and Cup on 7 occasions, and entered the regional Southern League in 1976. Kanaries, also a dominant team in the Southern League, became the first team to represent the city of Plymouth in the national leagues when they entered the National Basketball League in

11776-503: The league – FIBA approached Raiders with an invitation to compete in the EuroChallenge for the 2008–09 season , which Raiders also duly declined. After six years of sponsorship from Kularoos, the Raiders board announced during the summer of 2008 a major new deal had been reached with Plymouth-based chewing gum giant Wrigley's Airwaves , reportedly "one of the biggest in basketball history". The extra funds brought in allowed for

11904-556: The league's popularity and level of competition. Other professional women's basketball leagues in the United States, such as the American Basketball League (1996–98) , have folded in part because of the popularity of the WNBA. The WNBA has been looked at by many as a niche league. However, the league has recently taken steps forward. In June 2007, the WNBA signed a contract extension with ESPN . The new television deal ran from 2009 to 2016. Along with this deal, came

12032-631: The main arena has a capacity for 1,500 spectators, with tiered seating on either side of the court and floor-level seating behind each basket. Before moving to the Pavilions, Raiders were based at the Mayflower Centre , a 1,000-capacity sports facility adjacent to the Home Park football stadium in Central Park . The Raiders played out of the Mayflower Centre from 1983 until their move to the Pavilions in 1996, however, due to on-going issues with

12160-423: The mezzanine balcony of the playing court, but this proved impractical when spectators in the balcony began to interfere with shots. The backboard was introduced to prevent this interference; it had the additional effect of allowing rebound shots. Naismith's handwritten diaries, discovered by his granddaughter in early 2006, indicate that he was nervous about the new game he had invented, which incorporated rules from

12288-489: The nation by storm during the 1920s, dominating Indiana basketball and earning national recognition. Today virtually every high school in the United States fields a basketball team in varsity competition. Basketball's popularity remains high, both in rural areas where they carry the identification of the entire community, as well as at some larger schools known for their basketball teams where many players go on to participate at higher levels of competition after graduation. In

12416-402: The nearby Smith College , went to Naismith to learn more about the game. Fascinated by the new sport and the values it could teach, she started to organize games with her pupils, following adjusted rules. The first official women's interinstitutional game was played barely 11 months later, between the University of California and the Miss Head's School. In 1899, a committee was established at

12544-610: The new season immediately and ushered in the new era post-Stronach with the appointment of former player and team captain Gavin Love as the new head coach of the Raiders' first team, stepping up from his previous position of Stronach's assistant coach. Love's first signing as head coach came in the form of dual-national American Guard Cody Toppert from Germany . His wife Brittany, a professional football player and United States international, followed him to Plymouth and signed for local team Plymouth Argyle Ladies . Love continued to build

12672-400: The new sport and the values it could teach, she instantly introduced the game as a class exercise and soon after teams were organized. The first women's collegiate basketball game was played on March 21, 1893, when her Smith freshmen and sophomores played against one another. The first official women's interinstitutional game was played later that year between the University of California and

12800-434: The new-look Raiders roster with the signings of England international Taner Adu from Essex Pirates and American import players Otis Polk and Brian McKenzie, straight out of college. British youngsters Matt Guymon and Sam Cricelli were also drafted in soon after however England international Guymon left within weeks of the season opener for personal reasons. With the announced returns of Marriott, Czynienik and Anthony Rowe from

12928-421: The newly established team including Plymouth Cavaliers and Plymouth Armada, however after being inspired by a photo of a fox in a magazine and imagining a fox raiding for chickens, the name Plymouth Raiders was settled on by the ownership. Raiders played their first competitive game on 24 September 1983, a 97–84 away loss to Calderdale Explorers , and continued with a further away defeat to Newcastle, 108–88, on

13056-458: The offense, a violation of these rules results in loss of possession; for the defense, most leagues reset the shot clock and the offensive team is given possession of the ball out of bounds. There are limits imposed on the time taken before progressing the ball past halfway (8 seconds in FIBA and the NBA; 10 seconds in NCAA and high school for both sexes), before attempting a shot (24 seconds in FIBA,

13184-559: The opposition at the EIS Sheffield , however it was Raiders who walked away with the George Williams Trophy after a close 89–82 victory. The National Trophy was once more unattainable following a surprise defeat to Sutton in the semi-final, but Raiders domination in the league secured another trophy, finishing first with just two defeats to London United and Reading, who finished in second place. The Play-off Final

13312-407: The previous season the roster was starting to take shape, but Love was dealt a further blow when fan-favourite Allister Gall announced he would not be renewing his contract for the upcoming campaign. On 17 July 2017 the ownership of Plymouth Raiders was taken over from Bob Widdecombe to Ross Mackenzie and Richard Mollard. The new owners moved quickly to appoint Louis Sayers as their first player for

13440-503: The previous season through injury signed a new one-year contract. In October, the team was boosted with the visit of a FIBA inspection team that approved the use of the Pavilions for European competition matches, providing a top-two finish is achieved in the Championship. In the BBL Cup the Raiders won a two-game Semi-final series against Guildford to reach only their second BBL Final. Their final opponents were Everton Tigers who recorded

13568-517: The regular season on equal 21–5 records, the title was ultimately decided by a two-point aggregate differential in the head-to-head between the two teams. Raiders rallied a superb Play-off run and following the defeats of Cardiff Clippers, 111–101, and Guilford Pumas, 93–75, they edged out familiar foes Teesside in the Final at Guildford Spectrum , 71–66, securing the Play-off crown for the second time. The 2000–2001 season saw Stronach recruit arguably

13696-582: The score was 7–7 at the end of regulation play, and a ten-minute overtime period settled the outcome. A good turnout of spectators watched the game. The first men's national championship tournament, the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball tournament, which still exists as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament , was organized in 1937. The first national championship for NCAA teams,

13824-476: The season, the Raiders were on course to claim the newly rebranded NBL Conference title. The first defeat of the campaign came in the Trophy Semi-final to a Worthing Thunder team that inflicted two further defeats upon Plymouth throughout the season and matched the Raiders all the way in the hunt for silverware. However, it was Raiders who came out on top with a 19–2 record and the Conference crown for

13952-468: The sport in Australia. The Women's National Basketball League began in 1981. Women began to play basketball in the fall of 1892 at Smith College through Senda Berenson , substitute director of the newly opened gymnasium and physical education teacher, after having modified the rules for women. Shortly after Berenson was hired at Smith, she visited Naismith to learn more about the game. Fascinated by

14080-478: The strongest roster the franchise had ever seen, bringing in Todd Cetnar and Terrence Durham , two American imports straight out of Albany and St. Bonaventure University 's respectively. The addition of local players Roderick Wellington , Deng Deng (brother of Luol Deng ), Canadian Peter Knechtel and Welsh international Nathan Hayes, bolstered an impressive roster and with eight straight victories to open

14208-481: The summer, but who had been without a club. He marked his return in a 69–84 loss to Everton on 5 December. In February it was announced that James Noel was released from his contract, due to a series of long-term injuries, allowing the team's bench players more opportunity. Form started to improve throughout the Spring, but a double loss to Glasgow and Worthing at the beginning of April ended any hopes of qualifying for

14336-729: The team during the close-season, trying out for teams in South Korea , before eventually signing for a Guildford side preparing for their first appearance in Europe 's ULEB Cup . After committing over two decades of service to the Raiders, Coach Stronach was presented by the BBC with a Lifetime Achievement Award at a ceremony in November, honouring the success he has brought to Plymouth. In March they travelled to leaders Newcastle, having won their previous seven league games. They faced Newcastle in

14464-572: The three players who many credit with ushering the professional game to its highest level of popularity during the 1980s and 1990s: Larry Bird , Earvin "Magic" Johnson , and Michael Jordan . In 2001, the NBA formed a developmental league, the National Basketball Development League (later known as the NBA D-League and then the NBA G League after a branding deal with Gatorade ). As of the 2023–24 season,

14592-595: The venue's roof, the team spent much of the 1991–1992 season playing their home matches at the China Fleet Club, Ivybridge Community College, the John Kitto Centre and Torbay Leisure Centre in Paignton . Though the Pavilions arena has been approved by international governing body FIBA for hosting European competition matches, former Raiders' chairman Bob Widdecombe has stated the club's ambition

14720-577: The void. In the years before World War I , the Amateur Athletic Union and the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (forerunner of the NCAA ) vied for control over the rules for the game. The first pro league, the National Basketball League, was formed in 1898 to protect players from exploitation and to promote a less rough game. This league only lasted five years. James Naismith

14848-424: Was brought in from Germany. In October 2009 Anthony Martin was re-signed following a brief spell at Worcester, having departed the Raiders just months earlier. Former Raiders development talent Anthony Rowe signed on a one-month deal in November. Flato picked up a serious injury in November and subsequently left the club. His replacement was Drew Lasker, the team's top-scorer for the past four seasons, who left during

14976-403: Was common by 1896, with a rule against the double dribble by 1898. The peach baskets were used until 1906 when they were finally replaced by metal hoops with backboards. A further change was soon made, so the ball merely passed through. Whenever a person got the ball in the basket, his team would gain a point. Whichever team got the most points won the game. The baskets were originally nailed to

15104-632: Was created by the American Physical Education Association . These rules called for six to nine players per team and 11 officials. The International Women's Sports Federation (1924) included a women's basketball competition. 37 women's high school varsity basketball or state tournaments were held by 1925. And in 1926, the Amateur Athletic Union backed the first national women's basketball championship , complete with men's rules. The Edmonton Grads ,

15232-506: Was first included at the Berlin 1936 Summer Olympics , although a demonstration tournament was held in 1904. The United States defeated Canada in the first final, played outdoors. This competition has usually been dominated by the United States, whose team has won all but three titles. The first of these came in a controversial final game in Munich in 1972 against the Soviet Union, in which

15360-601: Was founded as a "rebellion" of several teams from the now-defunct Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association, which was tightly controlled by the Basketball Association of the Philippines (now defunct), the then-FIBA recognized national association. Nine teams from the MICAA participated in the league's first season that opened on April 9, 1975. The NBL is Australia's pre-eminent men's professional basketball league. The league commenced in 1979 , playing

15488-485: Was instrumental in establishing college basketball . His colleague C. O. Beamis fielded the first college basketball team just a year after the Springfield YMCA game at the suburban Pittsburgh Geneva College . Naismith himself later coached at the University of Kansas for six years, before handing the reins to renowned coach Forrest "Phog" Allen . Naismith's disciple Amos Alonzo Stagg brought basketball to

15616-495: Was named the new captain. In July 2009 James Noel extended his contract. The summer saw the unveiling of a restructured development programme following a merger of Raiders development team with local club Plymouth Marjon Cannons , headed by former Cannons coach George Hatchell. Eric Flato, a recent graduate of Yale University , was signed in July 2009, and the news was soon followed by the capture of Terry Horton, another American, who

15744-476: Was not an official Olympic sport until 1976. The Grads' players were unpaid, and had to remain single. The Grads' style focused on team play, without overly emphasizing skills of individual players. The first women's AAU All-America team was chosen in 1929. Women's industrial leagues sprang up throughout the United States, producing famous athletes, including Babe Didrikson of the Golden Cyclones , and

15872-424: Was only in the late 1950s that Tony Hinkle , searching for a ball that would be more visible to players and spectators alike, introduced the orange ball that is now in common use. Dribbling was not part of the original game except for the "bounce pass" to teammates. Passing the ball was the primary means of ball movement. Dribbling was eventually introduced but limited by the asymmetric shape of early balls. Dribbling

16000-423: Was reached again, but Raiders were unable to add a third title to the season's haul as Teesside, exacting their National Cup defeat revenge, came out on top with an 80–75 win. Having firmly established themselves as the dominant force in Division 1, winning six trophies in the past eight seasons, the club announced in the summer of 2004 that they had been admitted into the top-tier British Basketball League (BBL),

16128-539: Was replaced by his assistant Karruck who led the team to lowly 10th-placed finished in their rookie season. Gary Stronach became player/coach in 1994. The club endured a barren spell throughout the early 1990s and were forced to leave their Mayflower Centre in 1991 due to a leak in the roof. The team underwent a brief nomadic period using venues such as the John Kitto Centre, China Fleet Centre, Ivybridge Community College and even Torbay Leisure Centre, 30 miles away in Paignton , to host home games. The Raiders returned to

16256-556: Was to be retired at a ceremony on 14 February 2009 prior to a game with Guildford. Israeli Point Guard Haggai Hundert was drafted in from Slovenia to fill the void left by Love. The franchise expanded on its ambitions to play in Europe with the announcement on 16 March, of a co-operation deal with Spanish giants Unicaja Málaga ; the alliance will see Raiders coaches going to Spain to gain experience and young players coming to Plymouth to improve their English and education. A 96–73 defeat at

16384-402: Was trying to keep his gym class active on a rainy day. He sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness during the long New England winters. After rejecting other ideas as either too rough or poorly suited to walled-in gymnasiums , he invented a new game in which players would pass a ball to teammates and try to score points by tossing the ball into

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