In basketball, each team consists of a certain number of players on the court at a time. The correct answer to the question is option 1: 5 players.

Option 2: 7 players is incorrect. While some sports, like soccer or rugby, may have 7 players on each team, basketball is not one of them.

Option 3: 9 players is incorrect. A team in basketball does not have 9 players on the court at once.

Option 4: 11 players is incorrect. Similar to options 2 and 3, basketball does not involve 11 players on each team.

Basketball is typically played with 5 players on each side. Each team has a total of 5 players, including positions such as point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and center. The collective effort of these 5 players determines the success of the team in scoring, defending, and coordinating plays. Therefore, option 1, with 5 players per side, is the correct answer.