But style and performance give modern basketball a wholly different look. Basketball has always enjoyed great popularity. Within a decade of its invention there were women's teams, professional circuits, and an intercollegiate conference. The game quickly spread to Canada, France, and Australia, and was introduced into Olympic competition in 1904. Today young people play basketball in grade school, high school, college, and at athletic clubs.
Many teams represent towns, churches, service clubs, and businesses.
In addition to the amateur teams there are regular leagues and independent professional clubs. Lucrative contracts for the network and cable television rights to broadcast NBA games pushed the average NBA player's guaranteed salary to more than a million dollars per year. The five players on a basketball team are a center, two forwards, and two guards. The officials for the game are a referee and an umpire, who are assisted by two time keepers and two scorers. In NCAA tournament play three officials are used.