| The history of basketball is much easier | | | | overseas with them in WWII and the |
| to trace than other sports. It is clear | | | | history of basketball became global. |
| that Dr. James Naismith is credited with | | | | U.S. colleges accepted the game and |
| creating basketball and much of | | | | began to have it as a standard college |
| basketball history. Dr. Naismith, born | | | | sport. College basketball history took |
| in 1861 in Ontario, Canada first came up | | | | off around the late 1890's and the first |
| with the concept of basketball during | | | | college game began at the Madison Square |
| his youth school days in the area where | | | | Garden in New York. |
| he played a game that involved knocking | | | | Professional basketball history first |
| a rock off an object by attempting to | | | | began when the National Basketball |
| throw another rock at it. The game | | | | League was created in the late 1800's |
| obviously evolved from there and began | | | | around 1898. The league however did not |
| the history of basketball. | | | | last and was broken up after 5 years |
| Mr. Naismith taught at the YMCA School | | | | providing a rough start to basketball |
| in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891, | | | | history. The break up just led to a |
| where the sport of basketball was | | | | number of random leagues forming |
| created. He was faced with a problem of | | | | themselves in the early 1900's and each |
| finding a sport that could be played | | | | was very loosely organized. Ironically |
| indoors during the harsh Massachusetts | | | | enough the first super team was the |
| winters. He needed to come up with a | | | | Celtics but they were from New York City |
| game that could be played in and | | | | not Boston. The famous Harlem |
| outdoors and one that adopted a sense of | | | | globetrotters were also founded around |
| skill and not just brawn. He first | | | | this time in 1927 and hold a place in |
| developed the game by involving a soccer | | | | basketball history as being the most |
| ball and two peach baskets, who would | | | | entertaining of basketball teams. |
| have ever thought basketball history, | | | | It wasn't until 1949 that two |
| could come from a soccer ball. | | | | professional basketball leagues the NBL |
| In addition to creating basketball Dr. | | | | and the BAA merged to create what we all |
| Naismith became a medical doctor focused | | | | know now as the National Basketball |
| on sports science and was a minister. | | | | Association or the NBA. The Boston |
| Naismith watched his sport grow to | | | | Celtics dominated the NBA from the late |
| become one of the world's most popular | | | | 1950s through the 1960s. By the 1960s, |
| sports that saw its entrance in the | | | | professional teams had formed throughout |
| Olympics in 1936 at Berlin and he fixed | | | | the United States and basketball was a |
| himself a spot in basketball history. | | | | mainstream powerhouse. Players such as |
| The history of basketball began with | | | | Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russel and Kareem |
| teams of five and was the sports | | | | Abdul-Jabar all became household names |
| standard by 1897. The sport became | | | | that drew millions to watch them play as |
| popular to both men and women and began | | | | they all found a spot in basketball |
| to spread throughout Canada and the US. | | | | history. |
| The US servicemen took the sport | | | | |