The History of Basketball

It was cold in Springfield Massachusetts in December 1891 and there was a need to find a vigorous recreation suitable for playing indoors during winter. James Naismith, an instructor at the Young Men’s Christian Association training school, came up with a game with elements of football, soccer and hockey.

The game was named basketball probably because of the wooden peach baskets that the nine players used to place a soccer ball in. To score, the soccer ball would have to find its way into the peach basket. The only problem was that the players had to go into the peach baskets to get their ball. Getting the ball was an old fashioned form of weight training.

The teams of nine players were soon replaced by five players in January 18th, 1896.There were thirteen original basketball rules. One of the rules that basketball should have stuck with was rule 7 which stated that if either side makes three consecutive fouls, it shall count as a goal for the opponent. It would probably get rid of all the so called professional fouls we now. Note also how the scores were called goals and not baskets as is the present case.

Basketball quickly became very popular with the first registered basketball game between New Brighton and Geneva College being held on April 8th, 1893 in Pennsylvania and Geneva winning the game. When the first NCAA Men’s College Basketball Championship was held in Evanston in 1939, the basketball became ever more popular.

Women’s basketball was also starting out in the nearby Smith College in 1892. Senda Berenson decided to implement the game for the schools physical education program. She was very instrumental in adopting Naismith’s rules for women.

In the years before World War 1, various basketball associations were formed. They included the Amateur Athletic Union and the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States which vied for control over the rules of the game. In 1898, the first pro league, the National Basketball League, was formed. The current National Basketball Association (NBA) was formed in 1946 with a game between the Toronto Huskies and the New York Knickerbockers played on November 1st.

It is amazing to note that African American basketball players were not allowed in the original NBA. In 1950 Charles Cooper joined the Boston Celtics leading the way for such players as Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Players like Wilt Chamberlain had had to play with the Harlem Globetrotters before this.

It is impossible to talk about the history of basketball without mentioning such great players as George Mikan, Bob Cousy, Bill Russell and Jerry West. The early basketball players were physically fit and rarely did a lot of physical training.

Times have changed and if one wishes to be a successful basketball player, weight training, body building and even making sure you have proper sports nutrition are imperative. Healthy living habits that include men’s supplements will mean the difference between a talented basketball player and a professional basketball player.

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