The NBA has undergone numerous dramatic changes tracing back to its earliest days. From the especially strange regulations such as jump balls following every made basket to the once normal customs like teams wearing white while at home, there are many elements of the league’s past feel that are pretty much unrecognizable now. There were certain rules that were left behind to ensure that fairness across the league was upheld, while others simply couldn’t keep up with more modernized times. We’ll take a look at some of the standout forgotten rules as well as traditions that are able to provide an interesting glimpse back into the NBA’s past, and show how much the sport has changed throughout decades.
1. The Jump Ball After Every Basket
It’s wild to think that in the early days of basketball, teams were forced to perform a jump ball at the center court after every made basket. That would require quite a bit of endurance on the players’ part after a while. Also, the game itself would be slowed down dramatically.
2. No Three-Point Line
Before 1979, the NBA didn’t even have a three-point shot. This resulted in longer-range shooting and also little strategic importance.
3. Illegal Defense Rules
Until 2001, the NBA didn’t allow zone defenses. This required teams to play strict man-to-man coverage. The eventual rule change ended up helping out big time in terms of opening up the gates for new defensive strategies.
4. The Three-To-Make-Two Free Throw Rule
Back in the 1950s, any time a player was fouled in the act of shooting, they would then sometimes be given three attempts to make two free throws. This ended up giving them an additional chance to hit their shots, which was extremely generous.
5. Players Not Allowed To Dunk In College
From 1967 to 1976, the NCAA banned dunking. This resulted in NBA stars that popped up in later years, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, entering the league with minimal in-game dunking experience. Thankfully, such is not the case any more. In fact, it seems like every year the league’s newer players are redefining what fans thought was possible in terms of gravity-defying dunk displays.
6. The Era Of Short Shorts
Even though it’s not a formal rule, NBA players most often wore the iconic tight, short shorts for decades on end, before the much baggier shorts look took over in the 1990s. This was in large part credited to Michael Jordan as well as the Fab Five.
7. Hand-Checking Was Allowed
Defenders used to be allowed to place their hands on players who were in the middle of dribbling to slow them down. However, this ended up being eliminated in the early 2000s for the sake of encouraging a more free-flowing offense.
8. Territorial Draft Picks
It wasn’t until 1966 that NBA teams were allowed to claim local college stars before the draft to build up regional fan interest. This is actually how the Philadelphia Warriors ended up getting Wilt Chamberlain.
9. No Shot Clock
Before 1954, teams were allowed to stall indefinitely without ever shooting. That must’ve created quite the painstakingly slow spectating experience for fans. This also resulted in wildly low-scoring games. The introduction of the 24-second shot clock served to turn the sport upside down on its head though. And really in the best way possible.
10. Home Teams Wore Darker Jerseys
Before 2003, home teams would normally wear white jerseys while the road teams would don darker colors. The NBA ended up flipping this rule though, to instead allow home teams to wear alternate colors far more frequently.
