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History of Basketball
Most of the credit for creating the game known today as basketball must go to one person, Canadian Dr. James Naismith. He was a leader at the International YMCA Training School at Springfield, Massachusetts and was given the job of designing a new game for the students, who were tired of the usual types of gymnastics. This was in 1891.
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He got his idea from the older sports described above, although the game he created - basketball, was completely new.
He drew up a set of thirteen original rules, and the first game of basketball was played on 20 January 1892, at the Springfield YMCA gymnasium. The original ball used was a standard football (soccer ball). There was also no rule to specify how many players per side.
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The first game was played with nine players per side. Basketball soon became so popular that other colleges and organizations asked for copies of Naismith's rules.
By 1895, players had become very skilled and it was agreed that the number of players per side should be reduced to five, seven, or nine, depending on the size of the area. It was not long before the number was set at the present number of five.
Also in 1895, the YMCA modified the rules and made the game less strenuous for female players, and this game became known as netball.
Basketball was originally played with an actual basket or net. But as goals were scored more easily as players got better, the net was replaced with a metal ring with a bottomless net attached to it. Before this, a ladder was used and a specific 'ball retriever' would be up and down every time a goal was scored.
Olympics
From the outset, the YMCA was organizing competitions and tournaments. In 1901 the first collegiate league was started. At the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, United States, basketball was introduced as a demonstration sport, but all teams were from the US.
By 1924, at the Paris Olympics, when it was introduced as an exhibition sport, there were teams from France, Italy, Great Britain, and the United States. The London YMCA won the gold medal.
Basketball was not featured in the Olympics in either 1928 or 1932. But in 1932, the international governing body of the sport was formed, the Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur, also known as FIBA (International Amateur Basketball Federation).
There are now more than 200 member nations of FIBA.
Seven countries attended a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, and Renato William Jones, the Italian-born son of an Englishman was appointed the first secretary-general. Together with Dr. Forest Allen, who has campaigned to get basketball into the Olympics as a demonstration of full sport in 1928 and 1932, they got the game introduced into the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and twenty-two nations competed.
The tournament was played outdoors, and the United States were the first champions. Dr. James Naismith, who died three years later at the age of 78, presented the medals.
Rule changes in the 20th century
The game spread worldwide after gaining Olympic status, with the efforts of the YMCA movement, and American servicemen who introduced the game on their travels.
There were minor adjustments to Naismith's rules. Dribbling became allowed, a backboard was put behind all the baskets, which made rebounding an important part of the game, and a specific ball for basketball was introduced.
The first major rule change came in the 1920's, when the played fouled was able to take the free throw. Prior to this, a designated 'free-shooter' was used.
In 1936, the jump ball was no longer used after every score. This made the game much faster.
As well as those above, there have been changes and additions with timing regulations, time-outs, and an increase the restricted area under the basket.
Basketball leagues
In the United States, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) has organized its own championship since 1938, and the NBA (National Basketball Association) became Major League in 1949.
Also in the United States, a particularly famous team that I want to tell you about are the Harlem Globetrotters, founded by Abraham Saperstein in 1927, an all-black team of players who traveled around the United States giving exhibitions and demonstrations.
They gradually introduced skilful and entertaining routines into their play, which eventually developed into a comedy routine. They adopted 'Sweet Georgia Brown' as their theme tune, and have taken their own special brand of entertainment around the world.
In Great Britain, the English Basketball Association was set up in 1936. The Irish, Scottish, and Welsh associations were formed in 1946, 1947, and 1956 respectively.
Basketball is popular across the world.
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