The game of basketball continues to gain popularity around the world and the NBA has done its part in helping the game go global. They have done a fine job of taking the game to the Asian market, with the popularity of the sport at an all-time high in China, in particular.
As it spreads, it’s not a surprise that different cultures want to put their own spin on the game and that is just what’s happened in North Korea. The basketball league over there has some rules which will seem wild to any fan of the sport outside their country.
A dunk is worth 3 points in their league, while a three-pointer that swishes in without touching the rim is worth 4 points. There is a 1 point penalty for missing a free throw and perhaps the craziest rule of them all is that a made basket within the final 3 seconds of a game is worth 8 points. Redditors reacted to these rules and what it would mean if these changes were implemented in the NBA.
“Imagine being up 7 points with 3 seconds left and you lose on a layup”
“Imagine being up seven and losing the game because Simmons misses all 8 free throws”
“Yeah the other rules would be fun to watch. Thay last one is stupid….”
“Hack a shaq would reach new levels. No way a team doesn’t foul out an entire roster in a game.”
“Imagine if you were up 15, got fouled, bricked both for -8, and lost on an 8-point buzzer-beater”
“Ok this is ridiculous and now I’m in”
“1 second on the clock, Curry pulls up from halfcourt…BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!!!”
“Now that’s what they should do for the All star break “
“Rebounds should be 1 point with how much Kim Jong Ung loves Rodman”
“Ben Simmons in the playoffs. Your team finishes with negative points.”
“I like the missed free throws subtracts a point. That would add a layer to the madness and put more pressure on them.”
“Lowkey the dunk rule intrigues me, adds more paint presence to combat the dunks. Snowballs into post being relevant again?”
“If in the in-season tournament had crazy rules like this I would be onboard.”
“Ben Simmons could actually score NEGATIVE points from never taking late game clutch shots and missing all the FTs!”
“Imagine all the replays to determine whether a shot hit any part of the rim or swished”
“Man. I can’t imagine the guy hitting a layup with 3.1 seconds left.”
“The free throw one would be an interesting one without a doubt. Would change alot of nba history lmao.”
“Who would’ve thought North Korea has mastered basketball”
“I honestly like the free throw change, would make people have to get better at them”
“Giannis would average 20 points a game. 40 points on dunks,-20 on FTs lol.”
This would lead to some crazy action at the end of games, but there is no way the NBA ever incorporates any of this as it would make the game too gimmicky. We can only wonder how much Shaquille O’Neal would have hated this free throw rule as he used to complain to then-commissioner David Stern about the Hack-a-Shaq strategy.
That strategy would go into overdrive if a point was deducted every time a free throw was missed and O’Neal would have lost his mind over it. Fortunately for Shaq and the likes of Ben Simmons, who was the butt of jokes among fans here, rules like these weren’t and won’t ever be a part of the NBA.
