Alright, let’s talk about them basketball floors, the ones them fellas run and jump on. You know, the shiny ones, sometimes wood, sometimes not.

What kind of wood they use, huh? Well, I hear tell they like that maple wood. Yeah, maple, like the syrup, I guess. They say it’s hard and strong, good for all that stomping and running. Them NBA fellas, they like it the best, so it must be pretty good, right? But it ain’t just maple, mind you. Some places, they use other stuff too.

• Sometimes it’s just plain wood, planks all stuck together.
• Other times, it’s like that plywood stuff, you know, the kind they make houses outta sometimes.
• And then there’s the fake stuff, like plastic or rubber, they call it PVC or vinyl, I think. Looks like wood sometimes, but it ain’t.

Now, this here FIBA thing, that’s the basketball folks, right? They got rules about everything, even the floor! They gotta make sure it’s bouncy enough, but not too bouncy. Gotta be safe for them players, you see. They don’t want no one gettin’ hurt.

Them wooden floors, they ain’t just slapped together, no sir. They got these long pieces, like, real long, maybe twelve feet, they say. And they stick ’em together real tight, tongue and groove they call it. Like how them old houses was built, I reckon. Makes it strong and flat, so the ball bounces right.

And what about under the wood? Well, sometimes it’s just concrete, you know, that hard stuff they make sidewalks outta. But sometimes, they put some springy stuff underneath, to make it softer on the knees. Like a cushion, kinda. FIBA, they like that springy stuff, specially for the high-level games. They call it “area-elastic” or some such fancy word. Sounds complicated, but it just means it gives a little when you jump.

They got different levels of this FIBA stuff too, Level 1, Level 2… Level 1 is the best, I guess. The top of the line. Means the floor is real good, real safe. They test it, you see. Bounce a ball, make sure it bounces right. Make a fella run and jump, make sure he don’t fall through.

So, you got your wood, your plywood, your fake stuff… and then you got all sorts of ways to put it together. Some folks just nail it down, some folks use glue. And then they gotta paint it, you know, make it look pretty. Lines and circles and all that. Gotta make it clear where the fellas gotta run and where they gotta shoot.

It’s more than just slapping some wood down, you see. It’s a whole science to it. Gotta think about how the ball bounces, how the players run, how safe it is. And FIBA, they’re always lookin’ over everyone’s shoulder, makin’ sure it’s all done right. They don’t want no funny business with them floors. Them basketball players, they need a good floor, a safe floor. Otherwise, they can’t do their job, can they?

And that’s about all I know ‘bout them basketball floors. It’s wood, mostly, but sometimes not. And it’s gotta be strong and bouncy and safe. And FIBA, they’re the ones who make sure it is. Now, you go on and learn somethin’ else.

Just remember, them floors ain’t just wood, they’re a whole lot more, especially when those FIBA fellas get involved.