HISTORY OF BASKETBALL

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DR. JAMES NAISMITH

​The history of basketball began with its invention in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts by Canadian physical education instructor James Naismith as a less injury-prone sport than football. The game became established fairly quickly, very popular as the 20th century progressed, first in America and then throughout the world. After basketball became established in American colleges, the professional game followed; the American National Basketball Association (NBA), established in 1949, grew to a multibillion-dollar enterprise by the end of the century, and basketball became an integral part of American culture.The game of basketball as we know it today was created by Dr. James Naismith in December 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts to condition young athletes during cold months. It consisted of peach baskets and a soccer style ball. He published 13 rules for the new game. He divided his class of 18 into two teams of nine players each and set about to teach them the basics of his new game. The objective of the game was to throw the basketball into the fruit baskets nailed to the lower railing of the gym balcony. Every time a point was scored, the game was halted so the janitor could bring out a ladder and retrieve the ball. After a while, the bottoms of the fruit baskets were removed. The first public basketball game was played in Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 11, 1892.