BASKETBALL HISTORY
Whether you like to play basketball or watch live basketball, everyone can agree that basketball has became one of the world's most popular sports.
The great game of basketball began in December of 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was invented by James Naismith a Canadian born physical education instructor.
Naismith was an instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association Training School, which later became Springfield College. Under instructions from his superior he invented basketball as a recreation for indoor play during the winter months.
With eighteen students in his class, Naismith's teams began with nine members. The original basketball goals were merely peach baskets that were attached to the ten foot high railings on opposite ends of the gym. And, they used the only ball they had which was a soccer ball.
The players would simply pass the ball around and then throw it into the basket to score points. Each time a member scored the ball had to be retrieved with a ladder!
Just two short months after the game was invented, the first competitive game gave the audience the chance to watch live basketball. The game caught on and soon after even the women were playing basketball.
Senda Bereson introduced basketball at the Smith College after reading about it in the newspaper. Over 1,000 fans watched live basketball at Bereson's spring games in 1983!
By 1883, Naismith had replaced the peach baskets with hammock style baskets attached to iron hoops. The open ended nets and backboards weren't added until 1896.
Basketball had spread to many colleges by across the United States by 1895. With it's continually growing popularity college's began to sponsor the men's basketball games in 1910.
At times the teams consisted of up to 50 players, this made it a rough sport. Some of the YMCA's decided the game was too rough and banned the teams from playing in their facilities.
Since Naismith's intentions had been to invent a game that required skill, the roughness of the game prompted the decision to only have five players at a time on the court.
In 1896, the first game that charged for admission was played in Trenton, New Jersey. A Masonic Hall was rented when the game was banned from the local YMCA and fans were charged a fee to watch live basketball.
The first professional basketball league was formed in 1898. Often the players would play for several teams in different leagues, according to whoever was paying the highest salary. The teams traveled across the country playing various local teams.
Basketball debuted at the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, but it was only included as a demonstration sport. It wasn't until 1912 that basketball was included in the Olympics and teams could compete for medals.
Women's basketball became more organized in 1905. The American Physical Education Association developed the National Women's Basketball Committee's Basketball Rules.
Frequent injuries on the basketball court caused President Roosevelt to suggest that they form a governing body to protect the players. The Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States was formed in 1910. They would later change the name to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the NCAA Basketball governing body..
One of the first pro basketball teams the Original Celtic's were formed around 1915. The many fans watched live basketball as they played up to 150 games per season and dominated the sport up until about 1936.
Throughout the 1920's fans across America watched live basketball as hundreds of teams played. The Harlem Globe Trotter's came along in 1927, they fascinated fans with their antics. But, were also experts with a basketball.
In 1929, G.L. Pierce was granted a U.S. patent on the basketball. It was much like the one used today, but it was brown. The color was later changed to orange to make it easier for the members to see.
Through YMCA's, military men and the news, basketball became a favorite sport internationally. Eight nations joined together to form the Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur in 1932.
Goodyear, General Electric and Firestone created the National Basketball League in 1937. It consisted of industrial basketball teams that were mostly based in the Midwest.
Some of the first colleges to form basketball teams after the invention of the game were, Harvard, Princeton and Yale. The game had caught on very quickly and colleges began to challenge each other in games.
A group of basketball writers decided to organize a tournament in 1937. The following year the very first National Invitation Tournament was played at Madison Square Garden.
Some of the coaches wanted a centralized tournament for their teams, so they started their own tournaments. These tournaments were later taken over by the NCAA basketball body and have evolved into one of the most popular sporting events today known as March Madness!
The Basketball Association of America was established when World War II ended. It was formed out of a desire to have a nationwide league for all teams.
In 1940, the first televised basketball game allowed fans to sit in the comfort of their homes and watch live basketball! Television brought the sport to many people that had never seen the game!
The National Basketball League disbanded in 1949, the teams then joined with the Basketball Association of America. The BAA later changed their name to the NBA, the National Basketball Association that still remains today!
James Naismith has became known as the Father of Basketball and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959. It was called the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame!
Today basketball is a favorite sport that has gained the love and respect of many devoted fans around the world. Almost every school and college world wide has a basketball team! Basketball has paved the way for many players to attend college through scholarships.
The sport has became a multi-million dollar business! Fans travel far and wide to watch live basketball games at sold out coliseums, sports centers and gyms.
Basketball goals have became common additions to most parks, recreation centers and are even found in most backyards! From it's meager beginnings in 1891, basketball has evolved into a professional sport that many players have made a profession of!
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