Do you ever wonder how some sports evolve and get popular so fast? Well, Basketball started as a pretty small sport and turned into something big very fast. In 1891 James Naismith came up with the idea of basketball, and the first game was at the YMCA training school in Springfield, Massachusetts. We are going to dig deeper into how basketball has evolved over the years.
James Naismith
James Naismith was a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach, but he is best known for his invention of the game of Basketball. James was born on November 6, 1861, in Canada. When he was roughly 30 years old, he was teaching his physical education class and thinking of some ways to keep them all in shape in the winter season and for it to be less of a rough sport. He finally sparked an idea to nail peach baskets 10 feet high, use a soccer ball, and wrote 13 basic rules emphasizing passing. From there, it was history, with James creating a multi-billion dollar franchise and it becoming one of the most played sports in the world.
The aim of the game is to develop the man and not to make money or even to draw a crowd. -James Naismith
How The Game Got To Be So Big
After gaining some knowledge of who created the game of basketball, let’s see how it got to be so popular. Unlike any other sport requiring large fields or extensive gear, basketball requires minimal space and equipment, allowing it to be played in driveways and indoor gyms. This sport can also be played 1 on 1 or with a full team of 12 to 15 people. The sport also grew larger as the YMCA started to spread it rapidly. As the growth of the television occurred in the 1980’s, it started airing on different channels and became very popular among the whole world. Then, it became known as the NBA standing for the National Basketball Association.
You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good. -Jerry West in 1970
Going Back In Time
We have talked about who invented basketball and how it became so popular, but now we have to dig into all of the history behind basketball. In 1892 the first women’s basketball game was played at Smith College and organized by Senda Berenson. Around 1906 metal hoops and backboards were introduced, replacing the original peach baskets. About 30 years later basketball was introduced in the Olympics as a medal event. Another 40 years later in 1997 the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) begins making a major milestone for women’s professional basketball. Now, we have our modernized basketball hoops that we all know today.
I’ve missed 9,000 shots in my career… I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. -Micheal Jordan
Learning about how basketball came to life is so interesting and I hope you learned something new about a sport that you may love. If it weren’t for James Naismith basketball would not be here today and thousands of people would not get to experience their love for this amazing sport. If you were thinking about trying a new sport, you should definitely give basketball a try.
