MIDLAND, Texas — The game of basketball has been an Olympic sport since 1936, and the game with the orange ball has come a long way since then.
The United States has historically dominated the Olympic games, with the men’s team winning 16 of the 19 gold medals in history, while the women’s team has won nine of the 12 gold medals in history.
This year’s USA men’s team has NBA superstars LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant among other notable names.
However, the USA isn’t the only team stacked from head to toe, which isn't an easy feat for these giants.
The game has become so global that teams like France led by Victor Wembanyama, Serbia led by Nikola Jokic and Canada led by Shai Gilgeous Alexander, each have their own gold medal bids.
It’s become so popular that the Olympic games have a brand new event that started in 2020: 3x3 Basketball, a simpler take on the regular 5x5 game.
This year, the USA men’s team will make their debut on the 3x3 court headlined by college standout Jimmer Fredette and other current non-NBA players.
But what made this game that was invented by a PE teacher in 1891 so global?
NewsWest 9 reporter and non-professional basketball player Jason Freund said it’s because anyone and everyone can play the game.
"I mean, basketball is just a fun sport," Freund said. "You can play by yourself, you can just shoot hoops on your own or you can just gather a bunch of friends and gather up somewhere, grab a few cold drinks and you can just have a good time playing basketball. It's just a very fun sport to play with by yourself, with a group."
And while most people are not draining threes in Paris right now, this simple yet complex game allows regular people to play anywhere and everywhere, no matter how many shots they miss.
"You don't even need a hoop like this, you can really have a trash can and like a wadded-up ball of paper and you just shoot the paper and you got a basketball game right there," Freund said. "It is a game where you can play anywhere and it is just what makes it a universal game."
So even though we’re professional journalists and not professional athletes, that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun on our own international stage of Beal Park.
"Anyone can play basketball. It's just a sport that anyone can play, and we see the adults play it. You see little kids play it," Freund said. "It's like playing basketball with your family, playing with your friends, and it's just one of those types of sports where anyone can play and it's kind of, I think that's what makes everyone get into it."
So maybe one day, someone from Midland can make it to the Olympic games.
And if not, a hooping session at Beal Park with friends and family is a medal in itself.