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Invention of Basketball
In winter of 1891-1892 at Springfield College in Massachusetts, by James Naismith, an athletics teacher used peach baskets and hung them to the balconies inside the building, and the students would throw the ball into the baskets, and someone on the balcony would grab the balls and put them back into play. -
Rising Popularity of Basketball
Throughout 1892, different YMCA's introduced the rules of basketball, and the popularity of the sport was growing. Kids were sharing the rules with each other and beginning to play the game all over the country. -
First Professional League
The first professional league was the National Basketball League (NBL), formed in 1898. Its game differed from the college game in that a chicken-wire cage typically surrounded the court, separating players from often hostile fans. (Basketball players were long referred to as cagers.) -
First College Basketball Tournament
The 1939 NCAA Basketball Tournament involved 8 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. It was the first NCAA basketball national championship tournament, although it was operated by the NABC at the time. -
NBA Formed
In 1949, the NBA was formed when the BAA and NBL merged. On August 3, 1949, representatives from the two leagues met at the BAA offices in New York’s Empire State Building to finalize the merger. Maurice Podoloff, head of the BAA since its inception, was elected head of the new league. -
The Original NBA Teams
The new NBA was made up of 17 teams that represented both small towns and large cities across the country. Through the 1950s, though, the number of teams dwindled, along with fan support, and by the 1954-55 season, only eight teams remained. -
WNBA
The WNBA is a womens basketball league that was founded in 1996 and currently has 12 teams involved. League play began in 1997. The number or women who are playing basketball has significantly increased since the beginning of the nba, and for that reason the WNBA was founded. -
Last NBA Expansion
The last NBA expansion was in 2002 with the addition of the New Orleans Pelicans. The league has had 30 teams since then, and there have not been any expansion after that. -
Famous NBA Players and All-Stars
Since the NBA began, there have been different players that have left a major impact on the sport. Players such as Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, and Lebron James have all left majors impacts on basketball and the way that people play and recognize the game. -
Modern Day Basketball
In the modern day, the most famous leagues in the sport are the NBA and the NCAA College Basketball league. The rules have not changed drastically since the creation of the sport, but the way that the game is played has evolved and changed. Modern-day basketball involves crazy dunks and dribble moves, and we are currently in the era of the 3 pointers in basketball, all of which were at a time non-existant.
