User:Kamren.evans/historyofbasketball

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 and grew very popular as the 20th century progressed, first in America and then in other parts of the world. After basketball became established in American colleges, the professional game followed. The American National Basketball Association (NBA), established in 1946, grew to a multibillion-dollar enterprise by the end of the century, and basketball became an integral part of American culture.

The origins of basketball began in Springfield, Massachusetts in the late autumn of 1891. The game was created by a Canadian native named James Naismith. Dr. James Naismith was a physical education instructor for the International Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts. Naismith originally created the game to keep students conditioned and occupied while indoors since they were not able to do outside activities due to seasonal changes.

Naismith invent

International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts.[3]

Invention of the game[edit]
The game of basketball as it is known today was created by Dr. James Naismith in December 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts, to condition young athletes during cold months. It consisted of peach baskets and a soccer style ball. He published 13 rules for the new game. He divided his class of eighteen 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.

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