What was unusual about the courts used by the first National Basketball League?

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Taking flight — Basketball Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls leaping into the air during the slam-dunk competition at NBA All-Star weekend in Chicago, February 6, 1988.

The courts used by the first National Basketball League (NBL), formed in 1898, were unusual because they were typically surrounded by a chicken-wire cage.1

This cage served two primary purposes: it separated the players from often hostile spectators, and it kept the ball from going out-of-bounds, which helped quicken the pace of play. The chicken wire was later replaced by rope netting, which allowed players to bounce off the sides similar to prizefighters in a boxing ring. This unique feature is the reason basketball players were long referred to as "cagers".1