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Monday, February 25, 2013
History of Basketball
History of Basketball
Basketball was invented in December
1891 by the Canadian clergyman, educator, and physician James Naismith.
Naismith introduced the game when we 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. 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.
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