Basketball: An American Game – A Worldwide Hit!

Basketball is a uniquely American game that has gained worldwide popularity – and it’s grown from such simple beginnings: an indoor game was required to keep mid-Western students occupied during the cold months of winter, so James Naismith, a gym teacher from Massachusetts, nailed up a couple of fruit boxes and gave two nine-person teams a soccer ball. The game evolved from there, and today, basketball is played in official leagues by over 250 million people around the globe. Millions of others from the youngest of ages take part in informal pick-up games and street basketball

Shortly after the game was invented, the National Basketball Association (NBA) was formed. It is now the leading professional league in the world and features 29 teams competing in two conferences in the US, the Eastern and the Western. Alongside the NBA sits the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) that was founded in 1997.Basketball is easy to learn, with many of Naismith's rules still being featured. It's also fast and energetic, highly competitive, and always exciting to watch.

A highlight of the basketball calendar - and the perfect opportunity to score your own basket with a great value FlixBus ticket - is the annual All-Star Game. For this game, which features a line-up of players selected by fans across the US, the annual basketball season comes to a temporary stop in the second week of February. Then, as the season draws to a close, the champions of the Eastern and Western conferences meet in a series of seven games to determine the year's NBA champion.

The show-stopping exhibitionism of the Harlem Globetrotters with their theme tune Sweet Georgia Brown followed by the superstar skills of the Dream Team headlined by Michael 'Air' Jordan saw the spread of basketball around the world. Over 200 national federations are now part of FIBA, the sport's governing body.

The first officially recorded game of organized college basketball using the modern line-up of five players per team was between the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa. This was held in Iowa City on January 18, 1896. By 1900, colleges throughout the States were taking basketball seriously. Watching a game of basketball delivers a mix of athleticism, gravity-defying skills, and jazzed-up entertainment that'll keep you buzzing through every moment.

College Basketball Games

353 colleges across the US are taking part in the 2018-2019 basketball season.Comfortable FlixBus seats and free on board Wi-Fi ensure you'll arrive relaxed and ready to enjoy the game to the max. Check out our route map to plan your season's basketball fixtures. FlixBus routes bring you to the:

• California State Golden Bears
• Stanford Cardinals
• Arizona State Sun Devils
• USC Trojans
• University of Arizona Wildcats
• UCLA Bruins
• San Diego State Aztecs
• University of Nevada Las Vegas Rebels
• San Jose State Spartans
• Nevada State Wolf Pack
• Fresno State Bulldogs
• Sacramento State Hornets

Popular Bus Routes to Games

The NBA Pre-season gets underway towards the end of September, with the official season generally running from October–April. Play-offs take place in April and May, with the exciting championship finals usually happening in May and June.

The professional NBA teams and stadiums our FlixBus routes take in include:

• Los Angeles Clippers & Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center
• Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center
• Golden State Warriors at the Oracle Arena
• Sacramento Kings at the Sleep Train Arena

Popular Bus Routes to Games