The origin and rise of American basketball

Many people follow the sport of basketball without knowing its rich history. Basketball, like all other sports, has a unique origin story. James Naismith created this lively, active sport to give kids and adults something to play inside during the cold winter months. James was a teacher at a Christian Association training school. While he was there, he was asked to create an indoor game that could be used for both entertainment and physical education. He began his work in the winter of 1891 by comparing the sports he played as a child. One game in particular had a huge influence on what would later be called basketball. This game was called “Duck on a Rock” and it consisted of an individual protecting his “duck” from the others. Naismith also took ideas from earlier religious traditions created by the Mayans and the Aztecs. These cultures used a rubber ball and hoop for one of their indoor games. The ring resided on a post and the shots were made vertically. After extensive study, he was trained in the game of basketball.

Basketball originally had thirteen rules that were easy to understand and follow. The ball itself could be thrown in multiple directions, hit, and had to be held in the player’s hands. The players could not run with the ball. It had to be thrown between the players. Dirty tricks like tripping, pushing and holding were not allowed. Fouls were defined as violations of the above rules and using a fist to knock the ball out of a player’s hand. Three consecutive fouls received by one team awarded a point to the other team. Baskets can be made by shooting the ball or taking it out of the player’s hand. An out of bounds ball was returned to play and belonged to the first player to come into contact with it. The referees would take note of the fouls and judge the overall play of the game. The referees decided when the ball was in play, out of bounds, kept track of time, and determined which team had possession of the ball. Naismith presented the timing in the form of two halves lasting fifteen minutes. A five-minute break was allowed between halves. Whoever scored the most goals during these time periods was the winner of the game. Basketball still follows most of these same basic rules today.

The first game was held on December 29, 1891. A football and peach baskets were used for the festivities. Basketball spread in popularity around the world in large part with the help of the US military and teachers. As Americans were fighting in Europe during World War I, they embraced the sport and began playing it wherever they went. Physical education teachers also began using basketball in their courses, and the game became a well-known sport. The National Basketball Association was not founded until June 1946. Many little leagues and championships were formed before this time, but most disbanded fairly quickly. Racial integration into the league began in 1942. The sport subsequently developed into what we know today.