north korea basketball rules

North Korea’s Bizarre Basketball Rules

North Korea’s Bizarre Basketball Rules

Fun Fact About North Korea #5

North Korea has their own Basketball rules.

Did you know that in North Korea, they have their own rules for Basketball.

Kim Jong Il decided he could improve the rules of basketball, so of course… he re-wrote them.

Here are the North Korean Basketball rules:

  • Slam Dunks are now worth 3 points.
  • 3 pointers are worth 4 points – if it’s ‘nothing-but-net’.
  • 1 point is deducted for every missed free-throw.
  • Any field goal made in the last 3 seconds is worth 8 points!
  • Games can end in a tie.

Why did North Korea change the basketball rules?

As with anything in North Korea, it is not too clear why the rules for basketball were changed.

It is most likely that Kim Jong Un’s late father, Kim Jong Il, decided he could improve the rules and so changed them.

North Korea’s ‘Supreme Leaders’ have always had a fascination with basketball, with a particular fondness for the 1990s Chicago Bulls.

For example, in 2013, Kim Jong Un invited Dennis Rodman to Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital city, to arrange a basketball match.

The “Supreme Leader” and “The Worm” have bizarrely been friends ever since.  

dennis rodman and kim jong un Large

You can find more fun facts about North Korea on The Life of Jord’s YouTube & TikTok accounts.

All of our fun facts are from the Around the World in 800 Facts series, by Jordan Simons.

If you have a fun country fact to contribute, please drop it in the comments below.

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