The word 篮球场 is formed by sequentially combining three characters: 篮, meaning "basket"; 球, meaning "ball"; and 场, meaning "court" or "field". The characters 篮 and 球 first combine to create 篮球, denoting the sport "basketball" through direct reference to its equipment. Appending 场 then specifies the playing area, resulting in the complete term for "basketball court".