It’s hard to imagine a time when basketball didn’t exist. But it might surprise you to realise that basketball history doesn’t stretch back all that far…
We’re going to time travel back to the earliest days of basketball. Discover how it was invented, how quickly it caught on and lots more…
Basketball history starts in December 1891
It’s true that we’ve got a whole lot to thank the YMCA for, up to and including gay anthems. However, did you know that the YMCA is also at the heart of basketball history?
Well it does. Basketball was in fact invented in Springfield, Massachusetts at the YMCA International Training School.
The man behind the genius invention was Dr James Naismith. He devised this game in December 1891 in order to make sure students kept up their fitness levels during the cold winter months.
But Naismith’s original basketball was a little more rough and ready than what we see these days. Beach baskets were nailed to the balcony of the gym and the aim of the game was to get a soccer ball inside.
After a few games where the janitors had to get the ball out of the basket after every score, someone had the bright idea to simply cut holes in the basket.
And so, basketball was born.
Not long after, the first public game in basketball history was played on 11 March 1982. People were really scratching their heads, wondering what this game should be called. One suggestion was Naismith Game. However, that suggestion was cast off in favour of the more descriptive name of basketball. It really does what it says on the tin.
The tools of the trade get an upgrade
At the start of basketball history, Naismith simply grabbed whatever he could find in order to play the game. But in 1894, he decided that he could really do better. Spalding were contracted to create fit-for-purpose basketballs, sporting all the bounce you could need for the game.
Backboards and metal hoops came a little later, in 1906, creating a court more similar to what we’d recognise today.
Basketball takes over the world
The YMCA is an organisation with international reach. And that means that when basketball took off in Massachusetts, YMCAs all over the world could get access to Naismith’s rule book and game guidelines. In the first decade, games were held everywhere from Japan to Persia to France to China to India.
Popularity booms
Basketball fast became the darling of the sports world. And as of 1898, the first moves to formally organise the sport were made. The National Basketball League was formed, where six teams competed for the title. The league eventually disbanded in 1904 and it was followed by several smaller leagues over the next four decades. Until…
In 1946, the Basketball Association of America came on the scene. After a merger, it became the National Basketball Association. Also known as the NBA. The basketball equivalent to football’s Premier League, the NBA is filled to this day with the world’s most loved basketball teams, including the Chicago Bulls and the Lakers. It is where all the hottest basketball action is at.
Betting on basketball online
From NBA to college basketball, there are plenty of places that you can wager on basketball online. But our favourite spot is bet365. They’ve got lots of markets and interesting betting options, including in-play bets and accumulators. Plus with this bet365 bonus code, you can get a great welcome offer.
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