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Home - Basketball History
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 Basketball
was invented in December 1891 by the Canadian clergyman, educator, and
physician James Naismith. Naismith introduced the game when he was 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.
A number of U.S. colleges adopted the game between about 1893 and 1895.
In 1934 the first college games were staged in New York City's Madison
Square Garden, and college basketball began to attract heightened
interest. By the 1950s basketball had become a major college sport,
thus paving the way for a growth of interest in professional basketball.
The first pro league, the National Basketball League, was formed in
1898 to protect players from exploitation and to promote a less rough
game.
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This league only
lasted five years before disbanding; its demise spawned a number of
loosely organized leagues throughout the northeastern United States.
One of the first and greatest pro teams was the Original Celtics,
organized about 1915 in New York City. They played as many as 150 games
a season and dominated basketball until 1936. The Harlem Globetrotters,
founded in 1927, a notable exhibition team, specializes in amusing
court antics and expert ball handling.
In 1949 two subsequent professional leagues, the
National Basketball League (formed in 1937) and the Basketball
Association of America (1946) merged to create the National Basketball
Association (NBA). The Boston Celtics, led by their center Bill
Russell, dominated the NBA from the late 1950s through the 1960s. By
the 1960s, pro teams from coast to coast played before crowds of many
millions annually. Wilt Chamberlain, a center for the Los Angeles
Lakers, was another leading player during the era, and his battles with
Russell were eagerly anticipated. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, also a center,
came to prominence during the 1970s. Jabbar perfected his famed "sky
hook" shot while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and dominated the
opposition.
The NBA suffered a drop in popularity during the
late 1970s, but was resuscitated, principally through the growing
popularity of its most prominent players. Larry Bird of the Boston
Celtics, and Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers are credited with
injecting excitement into the league in the 1980s through their
superior skills and decade-long rivalry. During the late 1980s Michael
Jordan of the Chicago Bulls rose to stardom and helped the Bulls
dominate the NBA during the early 1990s. A new generation of basketball
stars, including Shaquille O'Neal of the Orlando Magic and Larry
Johnson of the Charlotte Hornets, have sustained the NBA's growth in
popularity.
In 1959 a Basketball
Hall of Fame was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts. Its rosters
include the names of great players, coaches, referees, and people who
have contributed significantly to the development of the game.
Here you can read more about Dr. James Naismith.
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