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The history of basketball begins with the invention of the game in 1891 in Springfield,
Massachusetts in the United States. A Dr. James Naismith invented the first basketball. The game
became established fairly quickly, becoming 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 multimillionaire dollar enterprise by the end of the century, and basketball became
an integral part of American culture.
FIBA (the International Basketball Federation) was founded in 1932, basketball became an Olympic
sport in 1936, and non-American teams and players progressed to match and sometimes exceed
American standards of play in the later 20th century and the 21st.
Contents
[hide]
1 Early history
o 1.1 Invention of the game
2 Original Rules
o 2.1 The first basketball game
3 YMCA, U.S. Army spread development
4 Professional leagues, teams and organizations
5 American colleges lead the way
6 NBA founded
7 African-Americans in basketball
8 American Basketball Association
9 First international games
10 Formation of FIBA
11 See also
12 Notes
13 References
14 External links
Early history[edit]
James Naismith
Original Rules[edit]
There were only thirteen rules of basket ball.
1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands.
3. A player cannot run with the ball, the player must throw it from the spot on which he catches
it, allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at good speed.
4. The ball must be held in or between the hands, the arms or body must not be used for
holding it.
5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping or striking in any way the person of an opponent
shall be allowed. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul, the
second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or if there was evident intent to injure
the person, for the whole of the game, no substitute.
6. A foul is striking the ball with the fist, violation of rules 3 and 4, and such as described in rule
5.
7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls it shall count a goal for opponents.
8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from grounds into the basket and
stays there If the ball rests on the edge and the opponent moves the basket it shall count as
a goal.
9. When the ball goes out of bounds it shall be thrown into the field, and played by the person
first touching it. In case of a dispute the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The
thrower in is allowed five seconds, if he holds it longer it shall go to the opponent. If any side
persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them.
10. The umpire shall be the judge of the men, and shall note the fouls, and notify the referee
when three consecutive fouls have been made.
11. The referee shall be the judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds,
and to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been
made, and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a
referee.
12. The time shall be fifteen minute halves, with five minutes rest between.
13. The making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner. In case of a draw the
game may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made. [2]
On December 21, 1891, James Naismith published rules for a new game using five base ideas and
thirteen rules.[3] That day, he asked his class to play a match in the Armory Street court: 9 versus 9,
using a soccer ball and two peach baskets. Frank Mahan, one of his students, wasnt so happy. He
just said: "Harrumph. Another new game".[4] However, Naismith was the inventor of the new game.
Someone proposed to call it Naismith Game, but he suggested "We have a ball and a basket: why
dont we call it basket ball"?[5] The eighteen players were: John J. Thompson, Eugene S. Libby,
Edwin P. Ruggles, William R. Chase, T. Duncan Patton, Frank Mahan, Finlay G. MacDonald,
William H. Davis and Lyman Archibald, who defeated George Weller, Wilbert Carey, Ernest Hildner,
Raymond Kaighn, Genzabaro Ishikawa, Benjamin S. French, Franklin Barnes, George Day and
Henry Gelan 10.[6] The goal was scored by Chase.[7] There were other differences between
Naismiths first idea and the game played today. The peach baskets were closed, and balls had to
be retrieved manually, until a small hole was put in the bottom of the peach basket to poke the ball
out using a stick. Only in 1906 were metal hoops, nets and back boards introduced. Moreover,
earlier the soccer ball was replaced by a Spalding ball, similar to the one used today.[8][9]
Naismith spent two years with the YMCA in France in that period. Not only did these influence bring
basketball with them, but even the modern basketball, that is the game as it was played in the
United States at that time.[12]
absorbed into the predecessor of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1909.[21] The
extremely popular NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament was started in 1939.
NBA founded[edit]
The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of
America (BAA).[23] The league adopted the name National Basketball Association(NBA) in 1949 after
merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). As of the early 21st century, the NBA is the
most significant professional basketball league in the US in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and
level of competition.[24]
African-Americans in basketball[edit]
The Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn and the St. Christopher Club of New York City was
established as the first fully organized independent all-black basketball teams in 1906. These teams
were amateur.[25]
In 1907, the amateur, all-black Olympian Athletic League was formed in New York City consisting of
the Smart Set Athletic Club, St. Christopher Club, Marathon Athletic Club, Alpha Physical Culture
Club, and the Jersey City Colored YMCA. The first inter-city basketball game between two black
teams was played in 1907 when the Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn travelled to Washington, DC
to play the Crescent Athletic Club.[25]
In 1908 Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn, a member of the Olympian Athletic League, was named
the first Colored Basketball World's Champion.[26]
In 1910, Howard Universitys first varsity basketball team began.
In 1922, the Commonwealth Five, the first all-black professional team was founded. The New York
Renaissance was founded in 1923.
In 1939, the all-black New York Renaissance beat the all-white Oshkosh All-Stars in the World Pro
Basketball Tournament.
The all-white National Basketball League began to racially integrate in 1942 with 10 black players
joining two teams, the Toledo Jim White Chevrolets and the Chicago Studebakers. The NBA
integrated in the 195051 season, with three black players each achieving a separate milestone in
that process. In the draft held immediately prior to that season, Chuck Cooper became the first black
player drafted by an NBA team. Shortly after the draft, Nat Clifton became the first black player to
sign an NBA contract. Finally, Earl Lloyd became the first black player to appear in an NBA game, as
his team started its season before either Cooper's or Clifton's.
Formation of FIBA[edit]
World basketball was growing, but it was on June 18, 1932 that a real international organization was
formed, to coordinate tournaments and teams: that day, Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy,
Latvia, Portugal, Romania and Switzerland founded the International Basketball
Federation (Fdration internationale de basketball amateur,FIBA) in Geneva.[30] Its work was
fundamental for the first inclusion of basketball in the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936. The first
Olympic title was won by the U.S. national team:Sam Balter, Ralph Bishop, Joe Fortenberry, Tex
Gibbons, Francis Johnson, Carl Knowles, Frank Lubin, Art Mollner, Donald Piper, Jack
Ragland, Willard Schmidt, Carl Shy,Duane Swanson, Bill Wheatley and the trainer James Needles.
Canada was runner-up; the games were played on an outdoor clay court. The first World
Championship was held in Argentina in 1950.[31]
See also[edit]
Basketball
Women's basketball
Timeline of women's basketball history
Notes[edit]
1. Jump up^ "Basket Football Game". Springfield Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts). March
12, 1892. Retrieved June 9, 2014.
2. Jump up^ Wolff, Alexander. Sports Illustrated 100 Years of Hoops: A Fond Look Back at the
Sport of Basketball. New York: Crescent Books ;, 1995.
3. Jump up^ Arceri-Bianchini, p. 18-19.
4. Jump up^ Associated Press, Newly found documents shed light on basketball's birth,
ESPN.com, 13 November 2006, Sports.espn.go.com.
5. Jump up^ Arceri-Bianchini, p. 18.
6. Jump up^ Arceri-Bianchini, p. 21.
7. Jump up^ Arceri-Bianchini, p. 22.
8. Jump up^ Arceri-Bianchini, p. 20.
9. Jump up^ Glenn, Dickey. The history of professional basketball since 1896. New York: Stein
and Day, 1982.
10. Jump up^ Arceri-Bianchini, p. 79.
11. Jump up^ Arceri-Bianchini, p. 80.
12. Jump up^ Lesile Colbeck et al., The Basketball World, FIBA, Monaco, 1972, quoted by ArceriBianchini, p. 81.
13. Jump up^ Hoosierhistorian, National Basket Ball League, Hoopedia, 9 May 2008,
inHoopedia.nba.com
14. ^ Jump up to:a b Arceri-Bianchini, p. 37.
References[edit]
Arceri, Mario; Bianchini, Valerio (2004). La leggenda del basket. Milano: Baldini Castoldi
Dalai. ISBN 9788884906267.
Peterson, Robert W. (2002). Cages to Jump Shots: Pro Basketball's Early Years. Lincoln:
University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 0-8032-8772-0.
James Naismith, Basketball: Its Origin and Development, University of Nebraska Press, 1941.
[hide]
Basketball (outline)
General topics
Rules
History of basketball
James Naismith
Variations of basketball
Leagues
Glossary of terms
Index of articles
3 seconds
Offense
Defense
5 seconds
Game play
Basket interference
Bonus
Carrying
Double dribble
Foul
Flagrant
Personal
Technical
Goaltending
Jump ball
Officials
Traveling
Turnover
Air ball
Alley-oop
Assist
Backboard shattering
Ball hog
Block
Buzzer beater
Cherry picking
Dribble
Crossover
Dunk
Euro step
Fadeaway
Fast break
Fly
Flop
Jump shot
Layup
Finger roll
Field goal
Four-point play
Free throw
Hook shot
Moves
Pick and roll
Positions
Posterized
Playbook
Rebound
Point
Screen
Back screen
Slashing
Steal
Three-pointer
Three-point play
Strategy
Uncontested shot
General
Sixth man
Offense
Continuity offense
Flex
Shuffle
UCLA High Post
Wheel
Dribble drive motion
Four corners
Motion
Princeton
Run and gun
Grinnell System
Nellie Ball
Small ball
Triangle
Defense
131
23 zone
Amoeba
Box-and-one
Double team
Full-court press
Hack-a-Shaq
Jordan Rules
Line
Man-to-man
Match-up zone
Triangle and Two
Zone
Equipment
Backboard
Ball
Breakaway rim
Court
Half court
Key
Net
Possession arrow
Shot clock
Whistle
Clothing
Basketball sleeve
Finger sleeve
Miscellany
100-point scorers
504090 club
AAU All-Americans
Mikan Drill
Player tracking
Shootaround
Tip drill
Winning streaks
External links[edit]
History of sports
History of basketball
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