Just like any sports such as football and baseball, it is always good to look back at the journey of how a sport was invented in the first place. It is always good to see the thought process and an analysis of the overall journey of where the game of basketball began. Basketball has evolved so quickly as a sport throughout our history. Players such as Michael Jordan and legendary teams such as the 1992 Dream Team have managed to bring basketball into the mainstream of society.
In this piece, we are going to do a breakdown of how the game of basketball was originated and invented in the first place.
The game was invented by James Naismith in the year 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. A ball that resembled a soccer ball was used. Peach baskets were used as baskets. The game of basketball was originally set up to be played during the wintertime due to the fact that football players would not be to play at the time.
James Naismith intended for basketball to be a contact-free game. He intended for the game of basketball to be a safer game than football. As mentioned before, the game has come a long way from its invention.
Originally, James Naismith came up with only thirteen rules when he first invented the game. When the game first started, nine players played on a basketball team. Additionally, the baskets were set up on gym benches. The baskets were actually nailed to the gym benches.
The baskets originally had bottoms. Thus, the game had to be delayed every time somebody scored a basket. Every time a basket was scored, a janitor had the mundane task of climbing up the ladder and retrieving the ball. At some point, it was realized that it would be better for the game if the bottom of the baskets were cut. By cutting out the bottom of the baskets, the game would be sped up. In today’s game, one would get called for traveling if they took a step without dribbling the basketball. However, one of Naismith’s original rules involved barring players from dribbling with the basketball altogether. A player simply had to catch the basketball. However, they had to stop moving altogether once they caught the ball. Needless to say, Naismith’s original rules and today’s rules widely vary.
In today’s game, a player is automatically out of the game if he or she gets a certain number of fouls. In the NBA, a player is thrown out of the game if he commits six fouls. When the game first originated, a player would be removed from the game temporarily if they committed a foul. The player would only be allowed back in the game on the next basket that is made.
In today’s game, a team gets to go to the free throw line automatically after committing a certain number of team fouls. When the game was first invented, a team was automatically awarded a basket after the other team commits three fouls.
As the original inventor of the game, Dr James Naismith oversaw the first basketball game ever played. He invited his students to participate.
Similar to how college basketball is formatted, the game was played in two halves. Each half lasted 15 minutes each. There was a brief 5-minute rest between each half. The first game ended in an uninteresting score of 1-0. Naismith came up with the name basketball after this game was played.
The first pro basketball league started in 1898. It was called the National Basketball League. 50 years later, the National Basketball Association was established.
