WHEN I WAS A KID

When I was a kid, all basketball backboards were made of wood.  Unbreakable glass was not a viable product at that time.

Glass boards came into vogue in the nineteen fifties.  There was a real rash of broken glass backboards during games at this time and they had to outlaw the dunk in order to save them.  Then, someone developed the breakaway rim to protect the glass from hangers-on and the dunk was again permitted. These days, we hardly ever hear of a broken glass backboard.  

Glass is preferable because it is a lot more consistent than wood and fans behind the board can see through.  Now, announcers no longer call them backboards, they refer to them as 'the glass'.  Rebounds are still referred to by some as 'boards' - now you know where that comes from.

In case you are interested, college and pro basketball courts are 94 feet long and 50 feet wide.  Most high school courts are 84 feet long.  The distance is 10 feet from floor to top of rim for all.  The free-throw line is 15 feet from the face of the backboard.  The backboard itself is 6 ft wide and 42 inches high.  Every rim is 18 inches in diameter while the ball is only 9.55" in diameter - it should fit through very easily but, take it from me,  it doesn't.

I love basketball.  If you ask me, it's the best of all sports to play.
*o*