The three basketball positions normally employed by organized basketball teams are guard, forward, and center. More specifically, they can be classified into the five positions: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. The rules of basketball do not mandate them, and in informal games they are sometimes not used. They are grouped into two conceptual units: the offensive and defensive.

The point guard, also known as the "1", is typically the team's best ball handler and passer. The point guard is a position equivalent to that of a playmaking midfielder in football, setter in volleyball, a quarterback in American football, or a center in ice hockey, where they are often responsible for directing plays and passing the ball. This lends the player a role similar to a captain, as good point guards increase team efficiency and generally have a high number of assists. Some of the prototypical point guards in the NBA's recent years include Tony Parker for the four-time champion San Antonio Spurs, Derrick Rose for the Chicago Bulls, Jason Kidd for the Dallas Mavericks, Steve Nash for the Phoenix Suns. Other examples include Chauncey Billups, Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Deron Williams, and Jeremy Lin. Examples of players earlier in the league's history are Magic Johnson, Bob Cousy, and John Stockton. The point guard is typically the smallest player on his/her squad. At the NBA level, most point guards are 6 feet (1.83 m) to 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m). In Europe, point guards' height ranges from 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) to 6 feet 4 inches (1.93 m), with a few exceptions.

Forward may refer to:

Basketball is a team sport, the objective being to shoot a ball through a basket horizontally positioned to score points while following a set of rules. Usually, two teams of five players play on a marked rectangular court with a basket at each width end. Basketball is one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sports.

A regulation basketball hoop consists of a rim 18 inches in diameter and 10 feet high mounted to a backboard. A team can score a field goal by shooting the ball through the basket during regular play. A field goal scores two points for the shooting team if a player is touching or closer to the basket than the three-point line, and three points (known commonly as a 3 pointer or three) if the player is behind the three-point line. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins, but additional time (overtime) may be issued when the game ends with a draw. The ball can be advanced on the court by bouncing it while walking or running (dribbling) or throwing (passing) it to a teammate. It is a violation to move without dribbling the ball (traveling), to carry it, or to double dribble (to hold the ball with both hands then resume dribbling).