Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in 1891 while working at Springfield College in Massachusetts. He was tasked with creating an indoor winter game and came up with 13 original rules. The first official game was played in December 1891 between two teams of 9 players each, using a soccer ball and peach baskets as hoops. The game grew rapidly in popularity over the following decades as more colleges, amateur leagues, and eventually professional leagues were formed. However, the professional leagues of the early 20th century struggled for longevity due to financial difficulties. The modern game continued developing structures and growing its fanbase throughout the 1900s.

1. Josh Bartley
October 3, 2011
Ms. Tillery
4th period
The history of Basketball
The basketball was created by inventor Dr. James Naismith. Dr Naismith was born in 1861 in
Ontario, Canada. Dr Naismith attended both colleges McGill University, and Presbyterian
college in Montreal, Quebec Canada (history of basketball). After college Naismith became a
teacher at McGill University, he taught physical education. After spending a couple years at
McGill University, he transferred to Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts which was
then the Y.M.C.A training school. During his time at Springfield College he was given the task of
creating a game during winter months which could be played indoors in a relatively small place
by American phys-ed specialist Luther Halsey Gulick (Belles). The first basketball game took
place on January 20th, 1892 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The first game consisted of 18 payers,
with nine on each side. Naismith wrote 13 simply rules which have been changed over time,
and nailed up two peach baskets for hoops. Sense neither Naismith nor the YMCA had the
money to create a new ball they used a soccer ball. Halfway through the game William R. Chase
made the ball go into the peach basket, and became the first player to ever score in a
basketball game. During this game it was someone who suggested the name of this sport be
called basketball.

2. Within a few years the game grew in popularity and many facilities began to accommodate
more players. However within a decade of the creation basketball, many centers began to ban
the game because of the rough style used to play this game. Even while banned many other
groups began to form basketball leagues such as, the Amateur Athletic Union and
Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The first ever professional basketball leagues where all local
leagues within the larger east coast cities. The first know game took place on November 7,
1896. The game was played in Trenton New Jersey between the Trenton YMCA and the
Brooklyn YMCA. Trenton defeated Brooklyn 15-1 to win the first ever professional basketball
game. A couple years after the first basketball was played, six teams from Philadelphia and New
Jersey formed to create the National Basketball League (NBL).Many basketball leagues during
the time did not last that long, the NBL itself only lasted 5 seasons. During the year of 1901
colleges began to sponsor games. In the beginning only a few colleges participated and they
were Yale, Minnesota, Dartmouth, Columbia, Chicago, Utah and Navy. Inspired by President
Theodore Roosevelt in the summer of 1910 they formed the Intercollegiate Athletic
Association. During this time the game of basketball was considered a sport to watch, only
when hockey or a football game wasn’t on. This all changed in 1925 when the American
basketball league (ABL) was formed. The ABL was a collection of teams owned by small
individual corporations, but with the great depression around many of the teams started to
disband and drop out.