History of Basketball

• Basketball is a team sport where a player aims to shoot a ball through a basket horizontally positioned to score points while following a set of rules.
• This is one of the world's most popular and widely viewed sport.

  Basketball
• Basketball is played by two teams comprised of five players on a marked rectangular court with a basket at each end.
• In December 1891, basketball was invented.
• Basketball was invented by James Naismith.
• James Naismith was a Canadian clergyman and physician. He was also an instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts.
• The sport is aimed at organizing a recreation for indoor winter play
• This game is patterned after American football, soccer, and hockey.
• The soccer ball was first used, nine players played in each team, and wooden peach baskets have affixed to the walls were the first goals used.
• In 1897-1898, teams of five became the standard, and the sport spread nationwide and worldwide.
• It is played by both men and women, becoming a popular informal outdoor game.
• In 1934, the first college basketball games were staged in New York City's Madison Square Garden.
• In the 1950s, basketball had become a major college sport that paved the way for professional basketball.
• In 1898, the National Basketball League, the first pro league, was formed to protect players from exploitation and promote a less rough game.
• The NBL lasted 5 years.
• One of the first and greatest pro teams was the Original Celtics, organized around 1915 in New York City
• In 1937, the National Basketball League (NBL) was established after the 1948-1949 season, it merged with the Basketball Association of America (BAA) to form the National Basketball Association (NBA)
• Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics dominated the NBA from late 1950s through 1960s.
• A center from the Los Angeles Lakers, W Chamberlain, exhibited against Russell, and their battle was eagerly anticipated.
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with his famous "sky book" as a center, came to prominence during the 1970s
• The NBA dropped its popularity during the late 1970s, but regained its posture principally through the popularity of its best players.
• Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics and Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers are credited with bringing excitement to the viewing audience in the 1980s
• Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls rose to stardom and helped the Bulls dominate the NBA during the early 1990s
• A new generation of basketball stars, including LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kobe Bryant have sustained the NBA's growth in popularity.
• In 1959, the Basketball Hall of Fame was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts and included the names of great players, coaches, referees, and people who have significantly contributed to the development of the sport