I bet you didn't know that the NBA was actually started in Canada, and I bet you didn't know that the first-ever shot taken in an NBA game was taken by a Canadian. The reason for this, of course, is because at its core professional basketball is such a big deal in the United States that it dwarfs all other sports in a way that other countries just don't understand. It's a fact: the NBA is so popular, and so important to America, that it could have only started in the United States where people have time to appreciate it fully.
Somewhere along the line basketball became more than just a sport. It has become an institution, a lifestyle, a culture. More kids in the United States play basketball than any other sport. Pop Warner football, for example, has about 452,000 players under the age of 12, while 1.7 million children aged 6-17 play basketball. The NBA itself has 70 million fans worldwide, and nearly half of them are in America.
The impact of such a huge league can be seen all over America, even in the most unlikely places. I remember once watching a Los Angeles Lakers-Orlando Magic game on television and one of the announcers said, "Man, they play basketball like crazy out here." If you travel to the United States and watch some men playing catch by a river in a forest you might find it to be the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. However, if someone were to say that about a men's league game of basketball played on the same grassy knoll you would probably plug your ears and run away from all that dribbling.
Betting on NBA Games
The reason for this widespread love affair with the sport is no doubt due to the fact that Americans are ready and willing to gamble on any game they can get their hands on. Just like horse racing or boxing, people tend to care about sports because there's money involved, so it stands to reason that people would be more inclined to watch teams play and players compete if there was a chance they could be betting on it.
When the NBA started up in 1946 only one man, Eddie Einhorn, had the vision to see that, great things could come from such an opportunity and he founded what is now known as The National Basketball Association Properties (or NBAP for short). It was under this name that NBA made a deal with TSR, Inc. to produce the first-ever board game involving professional basketball (which was created by none other than the famed designer of Monopoly, Charles B. Darrow). It was this same company that put out the very first edition of Trivia Pursuit which is still one of the top trivia games of all time.
After the TSR deal fell through, however, NBA Properties decided to have a go at publishing their own board games. In 1982 they published "The Double Dribble", which was the first-ever home video game based on basketball.
Security Threats for Online Gamers
Recently, players of NBA games have had more trouble than usual with their online gaming. The reason for this is that hackers have developed ways of getting access to the servers where the games are being kept and changing the outcomes of various plays in order to change the entire course of a game's outcome. This has been happening all over these past few years, and it has been a major concern for gamers who love this game.
Hacking accounts might seem like fun to some people, but it's no laughing matter because the NBA (and many other leagues) takes these issues very seriously. The reason that they are concerned is that if someone hacked into an account illegally then the company would be out of a substantial amount of money because they would have to pay the owner back for the money that was taken from them.
In order to combat hackers, though, many companies are joining together in a cooperative effort in order to find and destroy these people who would dare try and hijack accounts and compromise the quality and integrity of online sports games.
Closing Remarks
Clearly, NBA is a big deal and it is here to stay. It's a great way for teams to compete with one another and win bragging rights, but it also has a big role in America's economy as well because so many people have jobs making jerseys, trading cards, television shows, etc.
In short, it is easy to see that NBA games should be avidly followed and supported by gamers and non-gamers alike. After all, who doesn't like watching their favorite team win? You can place your bet on your preferred team and watch it win the league.
Also Read | Top 5 Highest Scoring Matches in NBA History
