How To Understand the History of Basketball

Basketball is one of the most popular team games ever created, easily earning fans and would-be players in almost every country around the world.  Its simple mechanics, good team dynamics and rigorous physical game play earns the interest of many, from sports-minded individuals to even the ordinary kid around the block.  But before expanding to become one of the most famous and widely played sports in the world, basketball, just like any other sport, originated from humble beginnings.

1. Inventor.  A Canadian clergyman, teacher and physician in the person of Dr. James Naismith is the internationally recognized originator of the game we now know as basketball.  He hailed from Almonte, Ontario and went to school at McGill University and Presbyterian College in Montreal.
2. Beginnings.  In 1891, Naismith was commissioned by his superior, Luther Halsey Gulick, at the Young Men’s Christian Association Training Center (now known as Springfield College) to come up with a game that can be played by the boys indoors during the winter season.  He wanted to create a game that did not only involve strength, but skill and strategy as well.  And that was how he was able to come up with basketball.
3. Firsts.  The first game was played using a soccer ball, and peach baskets affixed on walls served as goals.  It had nine players playing, and the rules were much different than the rules now.  For example, there was no concept of “dribbling” then, because a player cannot run with the ball.  They could simply pass the ball to another player from the spot where they caught it.  As the game was adopted by different schools and teams nationwide, some of these rules were changed, leading to the ones being adopted today.  US Servicemen during World War II were also said to be instrumental in spreading the sport worldwide, which has since then morphed into a popular, informal outdoor game.
4. Developments.  In 1898, the National Basketball League was formed, the first ever basketball pro league to exist in the United States of America.  However, the league only lasted five years and minor leagues were formed loosely after its demise.  In 1927, the Harlem Globetrotters was formed, probably one of the most famous exhibition teams in the US, specializing in entertaining game antics and amazing ball handling.  In 1936, basketball was formally introduced as a sport during the Berlin Olympics.  In 1949, the NBL and the Basketball Association of America, formed in 1946, merged to become what is known today as the National Basketball Association.  And in 1959, a Basketball Hall of Fame was formed honoring the key players, coaches, referees and people who have contributed greatly in developing the game.

If you’d like to know more about the history of this favorite game, you may want to check out your public library for books about basketball, or ask your old gym coach what he knows.  For sure there are tales about basketball out there that haven’t been told yet, and that will surely increase your knowledge of the game.