Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith and originally had 13 rules. Teams had 9 players and goals were wooden peach baskets affixed to walls. It became an Olympic sport in 1936. The NBA is a professional basketball league composed of 30 teams founded in New York in 1946. Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player of all time and played shooting guard for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards, winning numerous awards including 6 NBA championships and 5 MVP awards.