Basketball
Unlike most sports, basketball has a clear origin. It was invented by Dr. James Naismith in the year of 1891. At the time, he was a physical education teacher at the YMCA International Training School (now Springfield College). He was faced with the problem of finding an indoor athletic game for his students during the winter, and eventually came up with basketball. Naismith wanted to create a game that relied more on skill, rather than physical strength. He was inspired by a childhood game he played, duck-on-a-rock, where players try to knock a “duck” off the top of a large rock or tree stump using another rock.
Naismith wrote up a set of thirteen rules for the game:
In the first game of basketball, players used a soccer ball and peach baskets as the first nets, nailed to the wall 10 feet high. Unlike the modern game, basketball originally did not include dribbling as a means of keeping possession of the ball. The game instantly became popular, and spread across the United States via sports clubs and colleges. The first professional basketball league was created in 1898 in America. Over the next thirty years, its popularity spread globally, and basketball was first included in the Olympics in the 1931 Berlin Games.
In 1949, two rival professional leagues, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and National Basketball League (NBL), came together and formed the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league did not gain a large fan base until after the 24-second shot clock was introduced in 1954, making the game faster-paced and more exciting for spectators. The NBA's popularity grew during the 1960's and 70's, but the rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers and stars Larry Bird and Irving "Magic" Johnson during the 80's is what really caused the sport to take off. Following this era came the emergence of Michael Jordan as a global icon during the 1990's. He is widely considered the greatest NBA player of all time, winning five Most Valuable Player Awards and six NBA Finals. Basketball continues to grow today, and is one of the world's most popular sports.
Naismith wrote up a set of thirteen rules for the game:
- The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
- The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands, but never with the fist.
- 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 running at good speed.
- The ball must be held in or between the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding it.
- No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking or tripping in any way of an opponent. 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 substitution shall be allowed.
- A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violations of Rules 3 and 4 and such as described in Rule 5.
- If either side make three consecutive fouls it shall count as a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the meantime making a foul).
- Goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the ground into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edge and the opponents move the basket, it shall count as a goal.
- When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of 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.
- The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have the power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.
- The referee shall be the judge of the ball and decide when it is in play in bounds, 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.
- The time shall be two 15-minute halves with five minutes' rest between.
- The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winners.
In the first game of basketball, players used a soccer ball and peach baskets as the first nets, nailed to the wall 10 feet high. Unlike the modern game, basketball originally did not include dribbling as a means of keeping possession of the ball. The game instantly became popular, and spread across the United States via sports clubs and colleges. The first professional basketball league was created in 1898 in America. Over the next thirty years, its popularity spread globally, and basketball was first included in the Olympics in the 1931 Berlin Games.
In 1949, two rival professional leagues, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and National Basketball League (NBL), came together and formed the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league did not gain a large fan base until after the 24-second shot clock was introduced in 1954, making the game faster-paced and more exciting for spectators. The NBA's popularity grew during the 1960's and 70's, but the rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers and stars Larry Bird and Irving "Magic" Johnson during the 80's is what really caused the sport to take off. Following this era came the emergence of Michael Jordan as a global icon during the 1990's. He is widely considered the greatest NBA player of all time, winning five Most Valuable Player Awards and six NBA Finals. Basketball continues to grow today, and is one of the world's most popular sports.