History of Basketball

Invented by James Naismith in 1891.

The history of basketball has come a long way from Dr. James Naismith’s version of the game in 1981.  The soccer ball and peach baskets have been replaced with state of the art basketball and courts.  Children today grow up wanting to be like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.  Basketball has grown from a year-round past time to a way of life for many people around the world today.

Before the Olympics pick up the game in 1936, numerous professional teams and leagues had been born.  An entertaining and acrobatic team known as the Harlem Globetrotters had been had formed in 1927.  It was the merger of two popular leagues, the ABA and the NBL, which propelled basketball into American culture.  The two leagues, now referred to as the NBA, developed and fine-tuned the game into its present form.

The creation of the NBA brought changes to the game play as well as the introduction of new concepts.  Teams and their star players such as Wilt Chamberlain and the Philadelphia Warriors, were pleasing crowds and setting records.  The NBA decided to increase the excitement for spectators by adding the three-point line and the 24-second shot clock rule.  The game also changed to allow players demonstrate their skills on the court through signature moves called a “slam dunk.”  These moves became so popular with basketball fans that the “Slam Dunk Contest” was introduced in the early 1980s.

Basketball quickly spread across the world in the 1930s.  Greece, Italy, Portugal, Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Switzerland, Latvia, and Romania joined to form FIBA in 1932.  Also known as the International Basketball Federation, the teams in the group served as opponents for the United States and Canada on the world stage in the 1936 Olympics.  Female basketball players would play in their first world championships in 1953, but would have to wait until 1976 to have a chance at an Olympic gold metal.

Although designated as strictly an amateur group, FIBA change the rules in 1992 and the United States sent in the professionals.  Consisting of NBA stars such as Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Charles Barkley, the Dream Team of 1992 captured the gold in the Olympics against Croatia.

Today, everyone young and old enjoys basketball on local and world famous courts.  Children all over the world have a chance to learn and play basketball through a wide variety of school sports programs and summer camps.  The fight for MVP between players such as Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, Kevin Garnett of the Celtics, and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic is making already enthusiastic NBA fans jump to their feet.  The NBA is also host to players from over 30 international countries such as Vladimir Radmanovic of the Lakers who is from Serbia. NBA stars are featured in almost every aspects of everyday life including movies, books, magazines and even various clothing lines and sports products.  Basketball has become more than a sport; it is part of modern day culture.