Basketball

1) Michael Jordan is the first athlete in history to become a billionaire.

2) YMCA volunteer, James Naismith, is credited with inventing basketball in 1891.

3) Forward Kermit Washington almost killed forward Rudy Tomjanovich during a court fight between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets in 1977. The punch dislocated Tomjanovich’s jaw and caused spinal fluid to leak from his brain, giving the hit its own notorious name of “The Punch.”

4) Another infamous court fight occurred between the Pacers and Pistons on November 19. 2004. This fight involved not only players but also the spectators, resulting in nine players to be suspended and five fans to be banned for life from Piston home games. The suspension of the nine players also totaled an $11 million loss in salaries.

Soccer

5) Soccer’s original name was actually “basket-ball” because the first goals used for the game  were inside-out wicker baskets.

6) Soccer originated in Newgate Prison in London during the early 1800s because prisoners who had their hands cut off for theft had to come up with a sport that used only feet.

7) Brazilian soccer player Arthur Friedenreich scored over 1,300 goals over his 26 years of playing, making him the top scoring footballer in history.

Water Polo

8) Water polo originated in England as a form of rugby football played in lakes with a rubber ball, which eventually came to be called “water polo” based on the English pronunciation of the Balti word for ball, pulu.

9) After protests from the Australian women’s team, women’s water polo finally became an Olympic sport at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.