User:Ezekebetito/History of basketball

Olympic Basketball History

The sport of basketball was first seen in the 1904 Olympics but was not part of the official program of events until 1936. During the 1936 Olympics, the United States team won the first Olympic basketball gold medal defeating Canada by eight with a score of 19-8. Players participated in the event under bad weather conditions. The quality of Olympic basketball and its regulations varied from the other parts of the world. The equipment used for the game was not of the best quality. The participants were not as experienced and did not display proper knowledge of the game. Teams playing during the Olympics were given no time-outs and had no limit to how many seconds a player can stay in the lane and back-court. Two substitutions were given to teams and only seven athletes were to participate in the event. At the beginning of the 1936 Olympic games, approximately 10,000 individuals came to watch basketball.

The 1936 basketball tournament gained the attention of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and led them to the decision of revising the rules for the international game. FIBA carried out actions to further develop the rules of international basketball. A new style of play and tempo was adopted for future international games. With the second Olympic basketball competition in London, countries displayed higher averages than before. The Soviets joined the 1952 Olympics. The tournament created a rivalry between the United States and Soviet Russia. International basketball games were stopped as a result of World War II. Following the events of the war, basketball grew in popularity among soldiers and spread to other countries of Europe.

After the war countries prepared for the next set of events scheduled in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia. Rising basketball player, Bill Russell, was given an invitation to meet with President Eisenhower. The meeting set expectations that Bill Russell would participate in the upcoming Olympic games. Bill Russell Displayed his tremendous skills at the events. His playstyle created a new way for big players to approach the game. The United States ruled international basketball by winning all of the games up until the Munich Games in Germany in 1972. The 1972 Olympic Games represented 121 nations that included well over 7000 participants. Around 80,000 people gathered in the Olympic Stadium. Many turned to television to watch the games which were approximately 800 million. The United States was handed their first loss in the games by the Soviet men's basketball team.

Basketball players of the NBA were able to represent the USA in the 1992 Barcelona Games. The media referred to the USA 1992 team as the Dream Team. With their quality of talent, they had full control over the 1992 Olympic Games. The Dream Team influenced the development and future of international basketball.