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Basketball: How it all got started
by Carlos Lintons
http://www.fsubasketball.com
It would seem that Basketball has been with us forever.
Yet it was only in 1881 that Dr. James Naismith created the
game that now is one of the most popular games in the United
States. What you may not also realise is that Naismith was
actually born in Canada, and some wonder if the sport would
be so popular in the US had he not been living in
Massachusetts at the time he invented it.
Naismith worked at the University of McGill in Montreal for
several years as the athletics director before heading to
Massachusetts to the YMCA Training School. It was here that
Naismith was looking for a game that students would be able
to play inside during the winter months. The first game of
basketball was played with a soccer ball and two peach
baskets. A broom stick was used to push the ball back out of
the basket initially, but holes were cut in the bottom of
the basket to resemble the familiar hoop and net we see on
television and in gymnasiums today.
YMCA played a key role in popularising the game in USA and
the whole world as well. The game is played throughout the
world, but nowhere is it as popular as it is in North
America.
The game of Basketball continued to gain popularity and it
was showcased in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. And today the
National Basketball League is one of the most popular sports
events. Prior to the formation of NBA the controlling body
for the game of basketball in America was the Basketball
Association of America. Today the NBA players boast some of
the highest salaries in the professional sports.
On November 7, 1896 the first professional game was played
between the Trenton Basketball team and the Brooklyn YMCA.
It was the first time that players were paid. In time the
sport left the YMCA to enter the National Basketball
League.
Today great basket ball players like Michael Jordan, Magic
Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal and many more
have made headlines not only in basketball, but in movies,
tabloids, and even music. They even are role models for many
kids as the game of basket ball is really very popular.
The NBA Finals are one of the most popular televised sports
events in the United States. Everyone loves to cheer on
their favorite teams and players. Michael Jordan, or Air
Jordan as he was known, brought about much of the popularity
in NBA merchandise. Everyone wanted Air Jordan jerseys,
shirts, hats, shorts, and of course the ever popular shoes.
Today basket ball is one of the most popular games in the US
and the NBA is a multi-million dollar association that earns
revenue from ticket sales, televised games, and of course
the equally popular merchandise. It is perhaps the favorite
pass time and extra curricular activity with many children.
Dr James Naismith must never have thought that his simple
game with a ball and two peach baskets would become such a
mega success.
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