Basketball is one of the great sports that we play today. Dr. James Naismith is known as the world-wide inventor of basketball. He was born on November 6, 1861 in Almonte, Ontario, Canada. James was clergyman, educator, and physician. Later in his life he went on to be an instructor at the Young Men’s Christian Association (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Mass. He invented basketball in December of 1889 on request of Dr. Luther H. Gullick, that he organize a vigorous recreation suitable for indoor winter play. The game used elements of football, soccer, and hockey. The first ball used was a soccer ball. Teams had nine players, and the goals were wooden peach baskets attached to the walls. By 1897-98, teams of five became more standard. The game rapidly spread nationwide and to Canada, and other parts of the world, played both women and men basketball. It also became a popular informal outdoor game. U.S. servicemen in World War II popularized the sport in many other countries. Many colleges adopted the game between 1893-1895. In 1934 colleges were staged in New York City’s Madison Square Garden for the first time. College basketball started to attract much interest. By the 1950’s it became a major college sport, thus moving the way for a new growth of interest in professional basketball. The first pro league was the national league formed in 1891. One of the greatest pro teams was the Original Celtics, organized about 1915 in New York City. They played 150 games and dominated basketball in the 1920’s. The Harlem globetrotters an exhibition team, was founded in 1927 and achieved wide popularity for there amusing court behavior and ball handling. By the 1960’s pro teams from coast to coast, played before crowds of millions annually. Since the 1980’s the NBA has become one of the most popular sports organizations in the world because of the marketability of a number of high-profile star players, most notably Michael Jordan. Basketball has since been a major sport all around the world.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The league was founded in New York City on June 6th 1946 as the Basketball Association of America Also known as the BBA.…
- 334 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The Harlem Globetrotters came into the existence in the 1920s in Chicago Illinois. They played their first exhibition game on January 1927. The team caught the eye of a big sport promoter Abe Saperstein who owned…
- 500 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
A group of people were concerned about where the league was headed so, on August, 17 1920, a group of men met at Jordan and Hupmobile Automobile Showroom located in Canton, Ohio. That night a deal was agreed upon to start the American Professional Football Conference or the APFC with stricter rules to avoid the problems they were having (Klein 5). The league owners elected Jim Thorpe, one of the league’s best players, to be president of the league. Later the same year the name of the league was changed to American Professional Football Association or the APFA (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica 1). The first game of the APFL was played on September 26, 1920 (Football History 1920).…
- 1835 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays -
James Naismith was the creator of basketball. He created it in 1891 to condition young athletes in the winter. The “hoop” was a peach basket and the ball was a soccer styled ball. There were many rules for the new game. He created it in a YMCA gym in Springfield, Massachusetts. His team of eighteen was divided into two teams of nine and then the peach baskets were nailed above their heads. Every time one would score a basket, the game was stopped for the janitor to get up on a ladder and retrieve the ball. Later on, the bottoms of the “hoops” were taken out and they became a (sort of) real basket.…
- 300 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The NBA - National Basketball Association - was created on August 3, 1949, when the BAA - Basketball Association of America - merged with its erstwhile rival - the National Basketball League. The BAA had been around for three years previously, while the NBL was founded way back in 1937.…
- 479 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
The game of basketball has grown rapidly since Dr. James Naismith invented the game at Springfield College in December 1891. Basketball is now the most popular indoor sport in the world, and it has made billions of dollars for leagues like the NBA (National Basketball Association). It has been over a century since the first game of basketball was played and throughout all of the different eras basketball has been through no player has been more dominant than Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan was like a lion in the jungle, the basketball court was his domain, his empire, his kingdom.…
- 1547 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
The national pastime aka baseball started integration with Jackie Robinson on the Brooklyn Dodgers. Every team integrated at their own pace, but after it was all said and done some real talent shined through it all. “Integration thrust some of the game’s greatest stars into the big leagues limelight,...” (Phil Rogers). Another sport that we love today was in the mists of change as well. Basketball’s biggest change during this time was the 24 second shot clock, this change brought back a huge audience since the scores were now getting higher. In the shot clocks first year the points per game went from 79.5 to 93.1 (¨Sports History¨). Some of the biggest names in both of the sports came about in these times. For baseball you have Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Mickey Mantle, and many more. For basketball the top talent went two players in particular Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, with Bill being a team player and Wilt being all about the personal stats (¨Sports History¨). Even though sports went through many changes in the 1950s, sports still remained as a popular pastimes and they started fine tuning the rules to make them more enjoyable for…
- 666 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
World War II drastically changed the landscape of sports in America and formed them to become what they are today. World War II started in the year 1939 and lasted until 1945. The United States was not brought into the war until 1941 because of the bombing on Pearl Harbor. Young people from all over the country joined in the war effort to help fight. This included people that already had jobs and people that did not have jobs. In this time period men mostly made up the sports field. The effects on basketball, baseball and football in the 1940’s were greatly affected by the United States getting involved into World War II.…
- 1634 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
Basketball was invented in December 1891 by the Canadian clergyman, educator, and physician James Naismith. Naismith introduced the game when we were an instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts. At the request of his superior, Dr. Luther H. Gulick, he organized a vigorous recreation suitable for indoor winter play. The game involved elements of American football, soccer, and hockey, and the first ball used was a soccer ball. Teams had nine players, and the goals were wooden peach baskets affixed to the walls. By 1897-1898, teams of five became standard. The game rapidly spread nationwide and to Canada and other parts of the world, played by both women and men; it also became a popular informal outdoor game. U.S. servicemen in World War II (1939-1945) popularized the sport in many other countries.…
- 859 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Which basketball team has been with the NBA since it’s birth and has broken many records? In Springfield, Massachusetts, James Naismith in 1891. The first baskets were peach baskets while the backboards were just wires. The NBA was founded on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association, BAA, but it became the NBA, or National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949 after merging with the National Basketball League, NBL. Which team made all the records? The Warriors! They are the four time Finals winners, in 1948, 1964, 1967, and 2015. They almost won in 2016, but were crushed by the Cavaliers. The Warriors have been with the NBA since it’s birth, and has broken many records.…
- 380 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
In 1867 The Cincinnati Red Stockings became the first team to be semi pro and paid its players a salary. The dominated baseball for several years, and then in 1871, nine teams formed under the NABBP and player each other. This later became the National League. The National League brought respectability to the game of baseball by putting limits on the amount of money players could make, not allowing them to play on more than one team at a time and not allowing gambling on the game. Later another league formed called the American league. These two leagues decided to play their own championships and then play each other in a World Series.…
- 710 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Since its beginning over a century ago, basketball has evolved from a simple form of exercise with only a few rules to a highly competitive and complex national sport. Basketball was invented by James Naismith at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891 (Fox 11-13). It began as an activity for the “‘ball-game’ void” months of winter (Hanson 65), and Naismith had five standards for the game. He wanted a ball that could be handled by a player’s hands; no one was to run with the ball, and anyone could grab the ball from another player as long as the ball was in play. There was to be no personal contact, and the goal was to be raised from the ground. He created the idea and standards for basketball by combining certain aspects of American…
- 719 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
This hall of fame (located in Springfield, Massachusetts), unlike baseball and football's hall of fames, represents all of basketball in one hall. (The other halls have separate halls for college and professional). Among the items on the site are information about the Hall of Famers, running from James Naismith, who invented basketball, to Medowlark Lemon, to Phog Allen, to Lynette Woodward. Five whole teams are also honored as members, including the Harlem Globetrotters, the New York Rens and the Buffalo Germans. Three people, Lenny Wilkens, Bill Sharman and John Wooden, are honored both as players and as coaches. The history here, outside of the hall, is…
- 1427 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
In 1891 Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball for men. He created it as a way to get energy out and release high levels of testosterone. Only about a year later Senda Berenson, a physical education teacher, adapted the game and Women took the court (Allen 1).…
- 469 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
It wasn’t until the year 1893 when Sendra Berenson introduced the world to women’s basketball. When the women were playing a game no male spectators were allowed there at the time. In 1896 a game played between Stanford and California was the first women’s intercollegiate game. In that same year a game played in Illinois was the first intercollegiate women’s high school game to be recognized. It wasn’t until 1971 that women were finally allowed to play basketball on a full court, but in the state Oklahoma, women’s high school leveled basketball wasn’t allowed to play full court until 24 years later in 1995. In 1936, the Amateur Athletic Union held the first women’s national championship and the first women’s world championship was held by FIBA in 1969. But, the best change that ever happened in all women’s sports was when the Title IX took place in 1972. This equalized men’s an women’s sports (Tactics…
- 558 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays