The History of Basketball

The popular sport known as basketball has a very unique history, because the lone creator of it invented it without really evolving it from another kind of sport. The inventor was Dr. James Naismith, who was a minister at YMCA professional college. The college he worked at was in Springfield, Massachusetts, and the winters were too cold for rugby players to play outside. In December 1891 the Canadian-born inventor, who was also a physician, thought of the idea when he wanted to have an indoor game that the sports players could play.

It is believed that this early form of basketball actually used a peach basket as a hoop. Each time somebody scored, someone would have to scoop the ball out of the 10-foot high basket. The term “basket ball” was coined by one of the students and has been popular ever since then. The first official basetball game actually took place on January 20, 1892, where nine players played on a court approximately half the size the one NBA players now play on.

Basketball continued to spread all across the United States quite quickly, as women’s basketball was first designed in 1892 and became well established by 1896. As it became popular, crowds grew and had gotten more rowdy. With less than ten years since its creation, the players were playing more rough and YMCA started discouraging the sport. There was no decline in the popularity of the game however, as other groups such as the Amateur Athletic Union were still promoting it.

The ball that they played with was originally a soccer ball and it was not until the late 1950s that they changed it to the popular brownish orange color we see now. The idea was to create a ball that was easier to see and specific to the sport of basketball. Originally, dribbling the ball was nonexistent, as the balls were often not perfect circles, and passing was the primary way in which players would move the ball.

The most popular and most talented league is considered to be the National Basketball Association. The NBA, which also has the largest salaries and highest level of competition, was introduced in 1946 and organized the sport more than ever before. With highly talented and eye-catching players such as Julius Erving, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan, the NBA continued to develop and gain popular throughout the years. It was not until 1997, however, that the Women’s National Basketball Association was formed. The WNBA has also had its share of star players, including Lisa Leslie and Sue Bird.

Unfortunately for aspiring male professional basketball players, the chance of actually getting into the NBA is very slim. The average height is six feet and three inches, with many players being even taller. However, in the past some basketball players have had success, despite being short. Players like Muggsy Bogues and Anthony Webb were able to utilize their small size and speed to navigate through small areas. Although they were not particularly good at defending shooters, they were pretty good at stealing the ball low due to their closeness to the ground.

Since its creation, basketball immediately became a popular sport with fans from all over the world. Anyone can play it as all you need is a ball and a hoop. It’s a simple game, but it’s fun and also requires a lot of talent. The NBA has received great success as the number one professional basketball league in the entire world. It continues to gain new fans of basketball each and every day.