1957 NBA Free Throw Rule Change

On March twenty fifth, nineteen fifty seven, the NBA modified its free throw rules, changing the game to be more modern that we see today. With players getting larger, they needed to make it a fairer game by changing the width of the free throw lane as well as adding as well as adding the bonus for three throws, giving you two shots, to the impact of legends like Bill Russell and Chamberlain and these rules are the basis of what we have today and made the game what we know and love and changed it from a struggling league into one of the most profitable in the world today. We're going to dive into what happened with the free throw rules on Daily Sports History. Welcome to Daily Sports. I'm Ethan Reese, your guide as you daily learn more about sports history as we dive into free throw rules and today's trivia question to listen out for is what NBA player led the NBA to widen the free throw lane again to sixteen feet what it is today? Listen throughout the episode to hear the answer, and if you miss it, I will give it to you at the very end. Now, before nineteen fifty seven, basketball was dominated under the basket. There was no three point line. It was about having players that were big. They found out that having taller players meant you could dominate with players like George Michen because they could win the rebound battle and it was much easier for them to score. As in nineteen fifty Mikeen led the league multiple times, averaging almost thirty points a game, and Miken had huge influences on the game and the rules that we know today because of him. We have the goaltending rule and widening the lane to curb some of the dominants he had in the game. And before nineteen thirty four when they introduced the shot clock, which we covered in a previous episode, the pace of games was much much slower and teams often focused on defense and physical play as games were regularly scored in the sixties and eighties, making scoring much more limited. But also shows how dominant George Miken's thirty points a game were. So why did we need this change? Because it was an imbalanced game. Back then, having a guy that was six' nine almost seven foot was much rare than. Today today we have seven footers that are great in college and can't even play in THE. Nba but back then if you were, tall you could, dominate and the lanes were a lot, shorter so it was much less ERAa you had to cover to have success in the, post and the league was getting complaints over the physical play under the basket in the slow pace that this costs as teams with these taller players had an unfair advantage and they wanted to equalize the, teams allowing for other teams besides The lakers to win. Championships so one rule they instituted was widening the free throw line from six feet to twelve. Feet, now this is with not. Link this is where the players stand when they're on defense waiting to rebound the, ball and by widening this, lane doubling the amount that big men could have control in the. Paint and with the new free throw, rules they also introduced two spaces closest to the end line that would be occupied by the opponent of the free throw. Shooter this helped give them a better option to get a rebound following a miss free, throw making a more challenge for again a big man to. Dominate but why did they enforce this, Rule, well it wasn't the first time it's been. Done they actually did it in college back in nineteen fifty one After George miken dominated the college game until they followed. Suit it often happens in basketball where college or another pro league like THE aba had the three point line and THE nba, didn't but when they adopted THE, aba they got the three point. Line so a lot of times these changes come from outside where they're tested and they see the merit in, them and THE nba adopts. Them it's a slow, league but they do have their eye open to what's going. On this also made it easier for players that weren't pushing seven feet tall to have success while playing the, game because if you allow a player to just use their, height it makes it a lot. Easier and this also required teams to adjust how they, played especially if you had great big, men which was going to be a focus in the nineteen, sixties the decade that was coming Where Bill russell And Wilt chamberlain dominated the league as big, men but also did it using these new. Rules but guards were the main, benefactor as they could get into the lane easier and have more success by these sinners in power forwards being pushed out of the, lane allowing more access to shorter. Players, now this rule had an immediate impact on the scoring. Patterns players were customs dominating near the, basket and now players had to become more balanced and learn how to shoot away from the basket more to allow less dominance on the big. Men also led to the game being easier to watch as players were more spread out and allowed you to see who what was actually happening instead of players all bunched. Together but this wasn't the only time they would widened it as again another dominant big men In Wilt, chamberlain would force them to widen it to sixteen feet And Wilt chamberlain had multiple rules that were adjusted because of. Him he was so, dominant just Like george miken the decade. Before these two dominant big men And George mikeen And Wilt chamberlain literally changed THE nba into what it is. Today they showed how dominant a big man could. Be and imagine how how some of these players today Like wimby who is seven to, four would dominate with a six foot Paint it would be. Insane these were rules that were implemented as we learned how dominant players would get and how big players would get and it really shift the focus on offensive, strategy allowing for more. Strategy the strategy used to be throw it to the tall, guy he's going to, score and we'll figure out everything. Else now they had to figure out how to run an. Offense this also reduced the physicality under the, basket which made faster play and helped players not get injured as. Much but despite these rule, changes cinners still dominated. Well Bill russell came in shortly after they were expanded to twelve feet and still dominated and helped lead The celtics to a dynasty in the nineteen, sixties And Wilt chamberlain still averaged over fifty points in his nineteen sixty one, season showing that despite these, changes dominant players were still going to win and through, time it definitely showed that this was a change that was, effective as from the nineteen fifties the average point scored in the game was around one, hundred and that was increased by ten points almost ten percent in the nineteen. Sixties this also reduced the amount of fouls that were shot in a, game allowing for more gameplay to be done because of the whiting of the. Lane because there weren't so many players bundled up under the. Basket THE nba has continued to. Change if these rules weren't established early in the NBA's, infancy they never would have had a chance to continue to. Grow we saw how much introducing the shot clock was on a previous, episode how important that was to the game and likely saved THE. Nba but the rules like the free throw lane also changed it. Forever if you ever watch old, clips you see how thin the lane is in those. Courts just look goofy. Today but now we found a balance that has allowed the game to continue to grow and showed that they're willing to make drastic efforts to allow the game to grow and are focused on fans loving the. Game as there was NOT tv rights back, then you only made money if players came to the game to watch your team. Play and that's what their focus was early in THE. Nba and it, helped and it helped, adapt and it allowed us to get to where we are today in the MODERN nba and what you think was the best rule change IN nba. History thank you for listening to Today's Daily Sports. HISTORY i hoped you enjoyed. It if you liked, it please please make sure you follow and subscribe wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single daily sports, History and come back tomorrow for more daily sports. History and did you catch today's trivia? Question who was THE nba player that led THE nba to change the width of the free throw lane again from twelve feet to sixteen it is? Today the answer is the Great Wilt chamberlain was so dominant that they widened the free throw lane again to sixteen, feet where it has stayed ever. Since