Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a ball (approximately 9.4 inches (24 cm) in diameter) through the defender’s hoop (a basket 18 inches (46 cm) in diameter mounted 10 feet (3.048 m) high to a backboard at each end of the court), while preventing the opposing team from shooting through their own hoop. Points are scored by correctly putting the ball into the basket. The team with more points at the end of the match is the winner. If the two teams tie in the main innings, then the game will continue with extra time until the score difference. Invented in 1891 by Canadian-American gym teacher James Naismith, this sport has evolved to become one of the world’s most popular and widely viewed sports. The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the most significant professional league in the world in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition. The FIBA Basketball World Cup and Men’s Olympic Basketball Tournament are the major international events of the sport and attract top national teams from around the world. Each continent hosts regional competitions for national teams, like EuroBasket and FIBA AmeriCup. The FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup and Women’s Olympic Basketball Tournament feature top national teams from continental championships. The main North American league is the WNBA (NCAA Women’s Division I Basketball Championship is also popular), whereas the strongest European clubs participate in the EuroLeague Women.