Scale Explorer

Sports

How big is an NBA basketball court?

Basketball court (NBA) · NBA regulation court (Official 2025-26 NBA Playing Rules)

Length
28.7 m 94 ft
Width
15.2 m 50 ft
Rim height
3.05 m 10 ft
Rim inside diameter
45.7 cm 1 ft 6 in
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Human, School bus, Brachiosaurus, Basketball court (NBA) drawn to the same scaleHuman: height 1.61–1.75 m. School bus: length (65/66-passenger type c) ≈ 10.86 m. Brachiosaurus: head height (estimated) ≈ 12 m. Basketball court (NBA): length 28.7 m.Human: 1.61–1.75 mSchool bus: ≈ 10.86 mBrachiosaurus: ≈ 12 mBasketball court (NBA): 28.7 mBrachiosaurus≈ 12 mBasketball court (NBA)28.7 mSchool bus≈ 10.86 mHuman1.61–1.75 m
Everything is drawn to the same scale, standing on the same ground line. Silhouettes are simplified outlines scaled to the measured dimension. A faded outline shows the top of a size range.

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Dimensions

MeasurementMetricImperialNotesSource
Length 28.7 m 94 ft Baseline to baseline, measured inside the boundary lines [1]
Width 15.2 m 50 ft Sideline to sideline, measured inside the boundary lines [1]
Rim height 3.05 m 10 ft Floor to the upper edge of the basket ring [1]
Rim inside diameter 45.7 cm 1 ft 6 in Inside diameter of the metal basket ring [1]
Backboard width 1.83 m 6 ft Horizontal size of the rectangular backboard (it is 3.5 ft tall) [1]
Three-point line distance 7.239 m 23.75 ft Radius of the three-point arc from the middle of the basket (23 ft 9 in); it is 22 ft in the corners, where the line runs 3 ft from the sidelines [1]
Free throw line distance 4.57 m 15 ft From the plane of the face of the backboard to the free throw line [1]

About the NBA basketball court

An NBA court is a rectangle 94 feet long and 50 feet wide, measured inside the boundary lines. The basket ring is 18 inches across, with its upper edge set 10 feet above the floor, and hangs from a transparent backboard 6 feet wide and 3.5 feet tall. The three-point arc sits 23 feet 9 inches from the middle of the basket, and the free throw line is 15 feet from the face of the backboard.

  • The NBA playing court is 94 feet long and 50 feet wide, both measured inside the lines, and all lines are 2 inches wide. [1]
  • Each basket ring must have its upper edge 10 feet above the floor, with the nearest inside edge of the ring 6 inches out from the face of the backboard. [1]
  • The backboard is a flat, transparent rectangle 6 feet wide and 3.5 feet tall. [1]
  • The court diagram requires an apron of at least 8 feet beyond the end lines and at least 5 feet beyond the sidelines. [1]

How many fit?

  • ≈ 17 × Human · height lined up end to end match the Basketball court (NBA) · length
  • ≈ 2.3 × City bus · length over bumpers lined up end to end match the Basketball court (NBA) · length

Counts divide one sourced figure by another. "End to end" uses each object's main measurement; weight and volume rows appear only when both figures are sourced.

How it compares

  • 17× An NBA basketball court is about 17 times as long as an average adult is tall. See side by side
  • 2.3× An NBA basketball court is about 2.3 times as long as a city bus. See side by side
  • 1.2–1.9× An NBA basketball court is about 1.2–1.9 times as long as a megalodon. See side by side
  • 1.1× An NBA basketball court is about as long as a blue whale. See side by side
  • 1/1.4 A Boeing 737 is about 1.4 times as long as an NBA basketball court. See side by side
  • 1/2 The Leaning Tower of Pisa is about 2 times as tall as an NBA basketball court is long. See side by side

Factors compare the length of an NBA basketball court with each object’s own main measurement (height for a human). Where a size varies, the factor is given as a range.

Notes on these figures

  • These are NBA dimensions. FIBA, NCAA and high school courts use different sizes and three-point distances.

Sources

  1. National Basketball Association, Official Rules of the National Basketball Association 2025-26, Rule No. 1: Court Dimensions - Equipment. Accessed 25 September 2026.

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