History of Basketball

The history of basketball began when it was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891. James was a physical education instructor that had to invent a game that would keep the class busy during the winter months when they couldn’t play outside. He drew up thirteen original rules to his new game of basketball. Since the early players didn’t have basketball goals as we know them today, they used peach baskets. By 1903, the hoops with an open end and netting were invented.

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Dr. Naismith’s great invention didn’t bring him much fame or fortune, not that he really cared. He was, however, thrilled when the National Association of Basketball Coaches sponsored him to the 1936 Olympic games. It was there in Berlin that he was able to see how people loved the game he had invented. Dr. Naismith died in 1939 and was inducted posthumously into the Basketball Hall of Fame as the inventor in 1959. Fittingly enough, the Hall of Fame is called the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, with whom the whole history of basketball began.

The first National Basketball Association (NBA) game was played on November 1, 1946 and forever changed the history of basketball. The Toronto Huskies hosted the New York Knickerbockers before a crowd of a little over 7,000. The Knicks won that night, 68-66, but the game hardly resembled what we are used to today. There was no slam dunking or jump shots. Players weren’t even used to jumping much at all, so most of the games were low scoring.

The NBA has changed very much since the history of basketball began. Fans have grown to expect superhuman feats, having gotten used to watching the magic of players like Michael Jordan. Player salaries have skyrocketed as well. With the growth of the game, attendance has soared, with each team averaging about 17,000 fans per game. But the history of basketball grew out of a simple little game created by James Naismith in 1891.