Nations That Play Basketball
By Andrew Parker - January 28, 2023

One of the most widely practiced sports worldwide is basketball. There are courts everywhere, and billions of people watch the sport. Contrary to most other sports, basketball has vibrant communities on every continent, making it distinctive. Basketball is a game played worldwide, and it is uncommon to find an area where the inhabitants are unaware of it. The NBA is attracting more viewers than ever since more and more overseas players are having success there.

In the U.S., basketball is the most well-liked sport. The NBA, one of the top basketball sports leagues in the world, is located in the United States. The league, regarded as the most renowned league for players, draws players worldwide to participate. The sport of basketball first originated in the United States in Massachusetts in 1891. Basketball players rank among the most prominent athletes in American professional sports and are frequently recognized wherever they go. LeBron James, one of the best players in the game, has over 100 million Instagram followers, and many other stars have fanbases in the tens of thousands.

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It should come as no surprise that the adjacent country of Canada has a vibrant basketball scene, given that America is the basketball world’s most popular location. There are now 23 NBA players from Canada who have contributed to the league over the years with several players. Future NBA stars play youth basketball in Canada, but many of them decide to head south to the United States for their collegiate careers.

China is another nation that takes basketball very seriously. The Chinese Basketball Association, or CBA, one of the top professional leagues in the world, is based in the country. Despite the CBA’s excellent standard of play, Chinese athletes rarely come to the United States. There have only been seven Chinese-born NBA players since 1946, and none are currently on the field. It’s interesting to note that American athletes visiting China do so frequently. China is a top-rated destination for basketball players who opt to move abroad because they are either not talented enough for the NBA or started playing in the league but could not sign another deal.