Olympic basketball court vs NBA court: Key differences and dimensions
The Olympic basketball court vs the NBA court becomes one of the highlighting factors when NBA players compete on the global stage. One of the difficulties the NBA players face in the Olympics and FIBA World Cup is adjusting to the non-NBA rules followed in both events.
Olympic basketball does not only differ in the rules of the game but also in the dimensions of the courts. While the NBA has its own rules regarding the dimensions, Olympic basketball follows FIBA rules.
There are two major differences between Olympic and NBA basketball. The courts are different sizes, and the 3-point line is also different.
Olympic Basketball Court vs NBA Court: Court size
The FIBA/Olympic court is smaller than the NBA basketball court. The Olympic court is 91.86 feet (28 meters) long and 49.21 feet (15 meters) wide. On the other hand, the NBA court is 94 feet (28.65 meters) in length and 50 feet (15.24 meters) in width.
While it might seem like international players have an easier time since they have to deal with a smaller court, it is the opposite. Compared to the NBA players, players on Olympic courts have less space for movement.
Olympic Basketball Court vs NBA Court: 3-point line
When it comes to the size difference between the Olympic basketball court and NBA court, the 3-point line is also a major factor. Both the shape of the 3-point line and the distance from the basket are different.
The distance between the basket and the 3-point line at the top of the key in NBA basketball is 23.75 feet (7.24 meters). This distance keeps decreasing when a player moves toward the corner on the 3-point line. The distance between the basket and the 3-point line in the corner is 21.98 feet (6.7 meters).
In Olympic basketball, the distance between the basket and the 3-point line is 22.15 feet (6.75 meters). Moreover, the distance between the basket and the 3-point line is the same from the top of the key to the corners.
Apart from these differences in the dimensions of the court and the 3-point line, Olympic basketball also has different rules. The differences include the game duration in the NBA (48 minutes) vs. the Olympics (40 minutes), timeouts and fouls.