With the Olympics right around the corner, here are the differences between NBA and FIBA basketball.
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Although the basketball being played in the Olympics may look very familiar to the games most Americans are used to seeing during the NBA season, it is actually very different. The NBA and FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, have specific differences in how their rules and courts are laid out, and the NBA players will have to get used to them quickly.
The length of the games is the first difference, with Olympic basketball being four 10 minute quarters, instead of the 12 minute quarters used in the NBA. In regards to time, only coaches in the Olympics can call timeouts, as where players can call them in the NBA.
The length of the court is different as well, as the NBA court is longer. The three-point line is also farther away than it is in the Olympics, while the lane in the Olympics is wider. In the NBA, a player gets called for a three-second violation if they camp out in the lane, but in the Olympics, they can stay in there as long as they want.
The Olympics also are stricter when it comes to fouls, as any five fouls, whether technical or regular, get the player kicked out of the game. In the NBA, a player does not get ejected unless they either have six fouls or two technicals. There are also fewer refs in the Olympics, as there are two instead of the three used in NBA games.
As far as goaltending is concerned, once a ball hits the rim or backboard in the Olympics it is fair play, but in the NBA, once the ball is on the cylinder a player cannot touch it.
One final difference is the player’s jersey number has to be between 4-15, while in the NBA, they can wear any number they choose. That is the reason Michael Jordan could not wear his legendary number 23 and instead had to wear 9.
Despite the differences in the way the game is played, Team USA is expected to once again bring home the gold this Summer, and then they can go back to playing by NBA rules once they come home.
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