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Why was the 24-second shot clock introduced to professional basketball?
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History of basketball
Basketball inventor James Naismith holding a ball and a peach basket, the first basketball equipment.
The 24-second shot clock was introduced to professional basketball in 1954 to address the slow pace of games. Teams that were leading would often pass the ball around to run down the clock, which led to uninteresting gameplay. The shot clock requires teams to attempt a shot within a set time limit, thereby increasing the speed and excitement of the game.1