Basketball history is rich and full of famous basketball teams, players and coaches. Basketball equipment has come a long way since the beginning of the sport and is some of the most versatile sports equipment there is. This has helped basketball to maintain its popularity as one of the major sports in the US. Here's a quick history on the history of basketball.
Basketball originated in Springfield, Massachusetts. Today the Basketball Hall of Fame still stands there. Basketball was started by a Canadian who was teaching physical education in Springfield named Dr. James Naismith. Naismith invented basketball to be an indoor sport, something that would keep people, particularly the children that he taught, moving. Naismith developed basketball by taking some rules from other games of the time and applying them to a game which included a hoop. The only downside to the version of basketball that Naismith invented was that there was no hole on the bottom of the net. That meant it was hugely inconvenient for the players to get the ball back after making a shot.
The first basketball game was played in January of 1892 in a YMCA in Springfield. It was played with nine players per team; it wasn't until 1897 that five became the norm for a basketball team. The other difference between early basketball and today's game is the ball that the sport is played with. When the sport first started, it was played with a soccer ball. The orange basketball that is played with today was developed in the 1940s, although it was brown until the 1950s.
Women's basketball was not far behind men's basketball in development. Women's basketball started at Smith College by Sandra Berenson, a physical education teacher. She wrote the rules for women's basketball, which were slightly different than those for men's basketball. She eventually became the editor for the Women's Basketball Guide.
Basketball quickly became popular, spreading to YMCAs, high schools and colleges across the country. It wasn't before long though, that the YMCA banned basketball from being played in their facilities, reasoning that it was too dangerous. Eventually, of course, the group relented.
By the 1920s, basketball was a full-fledged sport, with hundreds of professional teams throughout the U.S. College basketball was also hugely popular, but it declined during the 1940s and 1950s when gambling was a problem.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) formed in 1976 from two other basketball governing bodies: the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League. The NBA remains the largest professional basketball league in the world today.
 | The rules of basketball used to be simple, when there were only 13 of them, but today, they vary with competition level and gender. |
 | These fun basketball games will keep you on your toes and hone your skills for next season. |
NBA basketball history is relatively short, which is fitting considering that it is played in shorts. |
 | Basketball equipment doesn't get as much attention as football helmets or baseball gloves, but it is just as important to the game. |
Learn about famous women basketball players and their contributions to the sport. |
