The United States of America is also a fan of basketball, just like many of the other countries all over the world. In the USA, basketball is the second best and most watched sport next to American Football.
Although it is not the best sport in the USA, many of the people are still avid fans of the game. This shows that the Americans share the same love and passion, together with the other countries in the world, for basketball.
What is it?
The USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for men’s and women’s basketball in the United States. The USA Basketball organization is based in Colorado Springs, Colo., and it is recognized by the FIBA, or the International Basketball Federation, and the USOC, or the United States Olympic Committee, to be the governing body for basketball in the United States and are responsible for the selection, training and fielding of the USA teams that compete in the FIBA sponsored international basketball competitions, as well as for some of the national competitions in the United States.
When did it start?
The USA basketball was organized in the year 1974. The name of the organization was not yet USA Basketball but Amateur Basketball Association of the United States of America, or ABAUSA. When the FIBA modified its rules and allow professional basketball teams and players to join in international competitions in October 12, 1989, the name was changed, hence the USA Basketball.
What does it consists?
The USA basketball is an organization, which is also composed of different organizations of different categories. There are five member categories in the USA basketball and these are the: Professional, Collegiate, Scholastic, Youth and Associate.
Under the Professional category are the National Basketball Association, National Basketball Association Development League, and Women’s National Basketball Association. On the Collegiate category, it includes the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Junior College Athletic Association.
There is only one organization under the Scholastic and Youth category, and it is the National Federation of State High School Associations and the Amateur Athletic Union respectively. There are many organizations under the Associate category, so not all of them are to be mentioned. Some of the organizations under the Associate category are the following: Athletics in Action, Basketball Travelers, Gazelle Group, Harlem Globetrotters, International Sport Exchange and Latin-American Basketball League of Los Angeles.
What International Competitions does the USA Basketball participate to?
The USA Basketball participates in a lot of different leagues internationally. They participate in the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games are held every four years. The USA Basketball won the gold medal for both the men and the women’s division during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Another competition is the FIBA World Championships where the USA Basketball won Bronze medal on both the men and the women’s division in 2007. Other competitions that the USA Basketball also participates into are the PAN American Games, the World University Games, and the Hoop Summit.
Famous USA Basketball Men’s Roster