Here are five funny trivia facts about basketball:

The Airball Curse: In basketball, shooting an "airball" (missing the hoop entirely) is embarrassing enough, but there’s an unwritten rule among fans to chant "Airball!" every time the player who missed touches the ball again. It’s like the basketball version of a friendly reminder that everyone’s watching!

Shaq's Free Throw Woes: Shaquille O'Neal, one of the most dominant players in NBA history, was notoriously bad at free throws. He was so bad that teams developed a strategy called "Hack-a-Shaq," intentionally fouling him to force him to shoot free throws, knowing he’d likely miss.

Michael Jordan Was Cut from His High School Team: It’s hard to believe, but Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, was cut from his high school varsity team as a sophomore. His coach must’ve had a good sense of humor—or hindsight—when he saw Jordan’s career take off!

A 104-Point Game… By Accident?: In 1990, Orlando Magic player Scott Skiles set an NBA record with 30 assists in a single game. The funny part? At the time, he thought he had around 10! His teammates were in on the joke, feeding him the ball to help him break the record without him realizing it.

Basketball Started with a Soccer Ball: When basketball was first invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891, the game was played with a soccer ball and peach baskets as hoops. The baskets had no holes, so every time a point was scored, someone had to climb a ladder to retrieve the ball!

These humorous tidbits highlight the quirky and unexpected sides of basketball, a sport filled with its fair share of funny moments and stories.