The History Of Basketball

2087 Words9 Pages
Basketball is currently one of today’s most popular and influential sports, with millions of people who play it all around the world. Professional basketball is also a growing platform. According to Forbes the NBA has ranked in as much as 5.9 billion dollars of generated revenue in recent seasons. The NBA has made a reputation for being one of the most innovative and growing professional sports leagues in America, including a good number international players hailing from 37 different countries (McFarlane). So how did the game of basketball become the game that it is today and why is it so popular amongst fans? Basketball has changed a lot over time, but there are certain time periods that have contributed to the progression of basketball more…show more content…
To begin understanding why basketball is so prominent today one must first know how it got started and where it came from. The story of basketball beings with one man named James Naismith, the creator of basketball. James Naismith was born on November 6, 1861, in Almonte, Ontario, Canada to John and Margaret Naismith. In reference to the Kansas Historical Society, Naismith attended McGill University in Quebec, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education. During his time there he participated in Canadian football, soccer, and gymnastics. Naismith would go on to teach at McGill and serve as their director of athletics. After some time there, he then moved to Springfield, Massachusetts in 1890 where he would teach at the YMCA International Training College. George Laughead states that it was here, in Springfield, where Naismith was…show more content…
Naismith once wrote that basketball is a team game demanding a high degree of accuracy, judgment, individual skill, initiative, self- control, and the spirit of cooperation (Rains xiii). In addition to his thoughts on basketball, the following was said about Naismith by his granddaughter Hellen Carpenter. “He placed a high value on sportsmanship and treasured men and women who possessed a high degree of character”. He also opposed segregation and worked hard to make sure African Americans were treated equally with white men and women (Rains xiii).” In 1898 Naismith was hired by the University of Kansas where he would coach basketball and teach physical education until his retirement in 1937. In 1936 basketball was played for the first time at the Olympic games, and Naismith was there where he was named the president of the international basketball federation (Kansas Historical Society). Naismith would die in 1939 leaving a legacy and a bright future for the game of

More about The History Of Basketball

Open Document