Basketball requires no equipment.
Basketball . The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop 18 in in diameter and 10 ft high that is mounted to a backboard at each end of the court . It is a violation to lift , or drag , one 's pivot foot without dribbling the ball , to carry it , or to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling . The National Basketball Association ( NBA ) is the most popular and widely considered to be the highest level of professional basketball in the world and NBA players are the world 's best paid athletes by average annual salary per player .