North Korean basketball is completely different from anything you’ve seen before. NBA and FIBA rules differ from one another, but that’s not close to what the Asian country has done to the beautiful game.
Back in 2006, it was revealed how exciting these games could get with all the different rules they have over there. You can lose a point for your team but also give them 8 points if you score at a specific moment.
Australia’s San Diego Union-Tribune (via The Daily Mail) explained how different rules are in North Korea compared to the rest of the world. If there’s somebody that knows about unique sports, that’s Australia (that’s right, Australian football). The Union-Tribune broke down how a 3-pointer can work one more point and how things can tie or overcome a 7-point deficit with a single basket.
First of all, slam dunks are highly valued in this country. If a player makes one, they’ll get three points, compared to two in a traditional game.
If someone makes a basket in the final three seconds of the game, they will get 4x more points than a regular score. The point value would be 8 points.
A three-pointer that doesn’t touch the rim becomes a four-pointer.
This must be the most pressing aspect of the game. If a player misses a free throw, not only do they not get the point, but their team loses one. This would be a disaster in the NBA, seeing how certain players struggle at the free-throw line.
After NBA fans found out about these curious rules, they had a lot to say about this, some trolling players and often imagining hypothetical scenarios where the rules would crush a team’s hopes.
If you want to watch how these games go, check it out:
Dennis Rodman’s relationship with the country also helped the game reach a different level. Back in 2013, the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls legend and the Harlem Globetrotters traveled to the Asian country, where the latter put up a show before playing an exhibition match.
These rules are very interesting and add a lot more drama to the game. Imagine if the NBA adopt one or two of these rules… Things would be even crazier than now. North Korea really twisted the game of basketball and these games looks very interesting.
