JAMES NAISMITH

JAMES NAISMITH

The history of basketball began with its invention in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts by Canadian
physical education instructor James Naismith as a less injury-prone sport than football. The game
became established fairly quickly, becoming very popular as the 20th century progressed, first in America
and then throughout the world. After basketball became established in American colleges, the
professional game followed; the American National Basketball Association(NBA), established in 1949,
grew to a multi-billion dollar enterprise by the end of the century, and basketball became an integral part
of American culture.
Invention of the game[edit]
The game of basketball, as we know it today was created by Dr. James Naismith in December 1891 in
Springfield, Massachusetts to condition young athletes during the cold. It consisted of peach baskets and
a soccer style ball. He published 13 rules for the new game. He divided his class of 18 into two teams of
nine players each and set about to teach them the basics of his new game. The objective of the game
was to throw the basketball into the fruit baskets nailed to the lower railing of the gym balcony. Every time
a point was scored, the game was halted so the janitor could bring out a ladder and retrieve the ball. After
a while, the bottoms of the fruit baskets were removed. The first public basketball game was played in
Springfield, Massachusetts, on March 11, 1892.
Original Rules
thirteen rules only
1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands.
3. A player cannot run with the ball, the player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it,
allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at good speed.
4. The ball must be held in or between the hands, the arms or body must not be used for holding it.
5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall
be allowed. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul, the second
shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or if there was evident intent to injure the person,
for the whole of the game, no substitute.
6. A foul is striking the ball with the fist, violation of rules 3 and 4, and such as described in rule 5.
7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls it shall count a goal for opponents.
8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from grounds into the basket and stays
there If the ball rests on the edge and the opponent moves the basket it shall count as a goal.
9. When the ball goes out of bounds it shall be thrown into the field and played by the person first
touching it. In case of a dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The "thrower-in" is
allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in
delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them.

10. The umpire shall be the judge of the men and shall note the fouls, and notify the referee when
three consecutive fouls have been made.
11. The referee shall be the judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in-bounds, and
to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made
and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
12. The time shall be fifteen-minute halves, with five minutes rest between.
13. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner. In the case of a draw,
the game may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made. [2]
The first basketball game
On December 21, 1891, James Naismith published rules for a new game using five basic ideas and
thirteen rules.[3] That day, he asked his class to play a match in the Armory Street court: 9 versus 9, using
a soccer ball and two peach baskets. Frank Mahan, one of his students, wasnt so happy. He just said:
"Harrumph. Another new game". [4] However, Naismith was the inventor of the new game. Someone
proposed to call it "Naismith Game", but he suggested "We have a ball and a basket: why dont we call it
basketball?"[5] The eighteen players were: John G. Thompson, Eugene S. Libby, Edwin P. Ruggles,
William R. Chase, T. Duncan Patton, Frank Mahan, Finlay G. MacDonald, William H. Davis and Lyman
Archibald, who defeated George Weller, Wilbert Carey, Ernest Hildner, Raymond Kaighn, Genzabaro
Ishikawa, Benjamin S. French, Franklin Barnes, George Day and Henry Gelan 10. [6] The goal was
scored by Chase.[7]There were other differences between Naismiths first idea and the game played today.
The peach baskets were closed, and balls had to be retrieved manually, until a small hole was put in the
bottom of the peach basket to poke the ball out using a stick. Only in 1906 were metal hoops, nets and
backboards introduced. Moreover, earlier the soccer ball was replaced by a Spalding ball, similar to the
one used today.
YMCA, U.S. Army spread development
The YMCA had a major role in spreading basketball throughout the United States,CANADA , and the
world. In 1893, Mel Rideout arranged the first European match in Paris, in Montmartre. At the same time,
Bob Gailey went to Tientsin, China,[10] Duncan Patton to India, Genzabaro Ishikawa to Japan, and C.
Hareek toPersia.[11]
The First World War broke out in 1914, and the U.S. Army started fighting in Europe in 1917.
During World War I, the American Expeditionary Force brought basketball wherever it went. Together with
the troops, there were hundreds of physical education teachers who knew basketball. Naismith also spent
two years with the YMCA in France in that period.[12]
Professional leagues, teams, and organizations
The first professional league was founded in 1898. Six teams took part in the National Basketball League,
and the first champions were the Trenton Nationals, followed by the New York Wanderers, the Bristol Pile
Drivers

and

the

Camden

Electrics.

The

league

was

abandoned

in

1904. [13] Then,

many

smallchampionships were organized, but most of them were not as important as some teams who played
for money against challengers.

The Original Celtics, for instance, are considered the "fathers of basketball", [14] and were presented as
"Worlds Basketball Champions";[14] the players had to sign a contract to play with them and the Jim
Furey, organized matches as a circus, moving daily from town to town. The Celtics became the strongest
team, and their successes lasted from 1922 until 1928, when the team disbanded due to ownership
problems. The Original Celtics are sometimes incorrectly thought of as forebears of the current Boston
Celtics of the NBA; in reality, they share only a name, as today's Celtics were not founded until 1946,
nearly two decades after the demise of the Original Celtics. In 1922, the first all-African American
professional team was founded: the Rens (also known as New York Renaissance or Harlem
Renaissance).[15] The Rens were the Original Celtics usual opponent, and for their matches a ticket cost
$1.[16] They took part in some official championships and won the first World Professional Basketball
Tournament in 1939. The team disbanded in 1949.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Eastern Basket Ball League (founded in 1909),[17] Metropolitan Basketball
League (founded in 1921)[18] and American Basketball League (founded in 1925)[19] were the most
important leagues.
American colleges lead the way
The greatest level of early basketball activity outside of YMCAs was seen in American colleges. The first
known U.S. college to field a basketball team against an outside opponent was Vanderbilt University,
which played against the local YMCA in Nashville, Tennessee, on February 7, 1893.[20] The second
recorded instance of an organized college basketball game was Geneva College's game against the New
Brighton YMCA on April 8, 1893, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, which Geneva won 30.[20]
The first recorded game between two college teams occurred on February 9, 1895, when Hamline
University faced Minnesota A&M (which later became a part of the University of Minnesota).[20]
[21]

Minnesota A&M won the game, which was played under rules allowing nine players per side, 93.

[21]

The first intercollegiate match using the modern rule of five players per side is often credited as a

game between the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa, inIowa City, Iowa, on January 18,
1896.[20][22] The Chicago team, which was organized by Amos Alonzo Stagg, who had learned the game
from James Naismith at the Springfield YMCA, won the game 1512.[21][22] (Some sources state the first
"true" five-on-five intercollegiate match was a game in 1897 between Yaleand Penn, because the Iowa
team, that played Chicago in 1896, was composed of University of Iowa students, but did not officially
represent the University of Iowa rather being organized through a YMCA.) [21] By 1900 the game of
basketball had spread to colleges across the country .
By 1897, the U.S. Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) had taken over oversight of basketball activity from the
YMCA.[21] In April 1905, representatives of fifteen colleges separately took over control of the college
game, creating the collegiate "Basket Ball Rule Committee." [21] The Committee was in turn absorbed into
the predecessor of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 1909.[21] The extremely
popular NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament was started in 1939.
NBA founded
The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of
America (BAA).[23] The league adopted the name National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949 after
merging with the rival National Basketball League (NBL). As of the early 21st century, the NBA is the most

significant professional basketball league in the US in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of
competition.[24]
African-Americans in basketball
The Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn and the St. Christopher Club of New York City were established
as the first fully organized independent all-black basketball teams in 1906. These teams were amateur.[25]
In 1907 the amateur, all-black Olympian Athletic League was formed in New York City consisting of the
Smart Set Athletic Club, St. Christopher Club, Marathon Athletic Club, Alpha Physical Culture Club, and
the Jersey City Colored YMCA. The first inter-city basketball game between two black teams was played
in 1907 when the Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn travelled to Washington, DC to play the Crescent
Athletic Club.[25]
In 1908 Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn, a member of the Olympian Athletic League, was named the
first Colored Basketball World's Champion.[26]
In 1910 Howard Universitys first varsity basketball team began.
In 1922 the Commonwealth Five, the first all-black professional team was founded. The New York
Renaissance was founded in 1923.
In 1939 the all-black New York Renaissance beat the all-white Oshkosh All-Stars in the World Pro
Basketball Tournament.
From the late 1920s the African American Harlem Globetrotters were a successful touring team, winning
the WPBT in 1940.
The all-white National Basketball League began to racially integrate in 1942 with 10 black players joining
two teams, the Toledo Jim White Chevrolets, and the Chicago Studebakers. The NBA integrated in 1950
51 seasons, just two years after its founding, with three black players each achieving a separate
milestone in that process. In the draft held immediately prior to that season, Chuck Cooper became the
first black player drafted by an NBA team. Shortly after the draft, Nat Clifton became the first black player
to sign an NBA contract. Finally, Earl Lloyd became the first black player to appear in an NBA game as his
team started its season before either Cooper's or Clifton's.
After the integration of the NBA, the Harlem Globetrotters started to focus on international touring and
exhibition performances, including comic routines. These tours helped to popularize basketball
internationally, and gave the Globetrotters the reputation as Basketball's goodwill ambassadors. [27]
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association (ABA) was founded as an alternative to the NBA in 1967

[28]

at a

time when the NBA was experiencing a lot of popularity. The ABA offered an alternative ethos and game
style as well as some changes in the rules. Julius Erving was the leading player in the league, and helped
launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim. His playing strength
helped legitimize the American Basketball Association. The league emphasized excitement and liveliness,
be it in the color of the ball (red, white and blue), the manner of play, wild promotions, or the three-point

shot. National recognition and earnings were low, leading the league to look for a way out of its problems.
Merger with the more established and very successful NBA was seen as a solution. The ABA was folded
into the NBA in the summer of 1976, its four most successful franchises (the New York Nets, Denver
Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs) being incorporated into the older league. [28] The
aggressive, loose style of play and the three-point shot

[28]

were taken up by the NBA.

First international games

After its arrival in Europe, basketball developed very quickly. In 1909, there was the first international
match in Saint Petersburg: Mayak Saint Petersburg beat a YMCA American team. [29] The first great
European event was held in 1919 in Joinville-le-Pont, near Germany, during the Inter-Allied Games.
United States, led by future Hall of Fame player Max Friedman, won against Italy and France, and then
Italy beat France. Basketball soon became popular among French and Italians. The Italian team had a
white

shirt

with

the House

of

Savoy shield

and

the

players

were:

Arrigo

and Marco

Muggiani, Baccarini, Giuseppe Sessa, Palestra, Pecollo and Bagnoli.[30]

Formation of FIBA
World basketball was growing, but it was on June 18, 1932 that a real international organization was
formed, to coordinate tournaments and teams: that day, Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia,
Portugal, Romania and Switzerland founded the International Basketball Federation (Fdration
internationale de basketball amateur, FIBA) in Geneva.[31] Its work was fundamental for the first inclusion
of basketball in the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936. The first Olympic title was won by the U.S. national
team: Sam Balter, Ralph Bishop, Joe Fortenberry, Tex Gibbons, Francis Johnson, Carl Knowles, Frank
Lubin, Art

Mollner,Donald

Piper, Jack

Ragland, Willard

Wheatley and the trainer James Needles.CANADA

Schmidt, Carl

Shy, Duane

Swanson, Bill

was runner-up; the games were played on an

outdoor clay court. The first World Championship was held in Argentina in 1950. [32]

In contrast to other sports, basketball has a clear origin. It is not the evolution from an ancient game or
another sport and the inventor is well known: Dr. James Naismith.
Naismith was born in 1861 in Ramsay township, Ontario, Canada. He graduated as a physician at McGill
University inMONTREAL and was primarily interested in sports physiology.
In 1891, while working as a physical education teacher at the YMCA International Training School (today,
Springfield College) in the United States, Naismith was faced with the problem of finding in 14 days an
indoor game to provide "athletic distraction" for the students at the School for Christian Workers (Naismith
was also a Presbyterian minister).
After discarding the idea of adapting outdoor games like soccer and lacrosse, Naismith recalled the
concept of a game of his school days known as duck-on-a-rock that involved accuracy attempting to
knock a "duck" off the top of a large rock by tossing another rock at it.
Starting from there, Naismith developed a set of 13 rules that gave origin to the game of basketball.
Of course it was not exactly as we know it today. The first game was played with a soccer ball and two
peach baskets nailed 10-feet high used as goals, on a court just half the size of a present-day court. The
baskets retained their bottoms so balls scored into the basket had to be poked out with a long dowel each
time and dribbling (bouncing of the ball up and down while moving) was not part of the original game.
The sport was an instant success and thanks to the initial impulse received by the YMCA movement,
basketball's popularity quickly grew nationwide and was introduced in many nations. Although Naismith
never saw the game develop into the spectacular game we know these days, he had the honor to witness
basketball become an Olympic sport at the 1936 Games held in Berlin.