The History Of Basketball
The History of
basketball, a game that started with 18 men in a YMCA gymnasium
in Springfield, Mass., has grown into a game that more than 300
million people play worldwide. The man who created this
instantly successful sport was Dr. James Naismith.
Under orders from
Dr. Luther Gulick, head of Physical Education at the School for
Christian Workers. Naismith had 14 days to create an indoor game
that would provide an "athletic distraction" for a
rowdy class through the brutal New England winter.
Naismith's
invention didn't come easily. Getting close to the deadline, he
struggled to keep the class' faith. His first intention was to
bring outdoor games indoors, i.e., soccer and lacrosse. These
games proved too physical and cumbersome.
At his wits' end,
Naismith recalled a childhood game that required players to use
finesse and accuracy to become successful. After brainstorming
this new idea, Naismith developed basketball's original 13 rules
and consequently, the game of basketball.
As basketball's
popularity grew, Naismith neither sought publicity nor engaged
in self-promotion. He was first and foremost a physical educator
who embraced recreational sport but shied away from the glory of
competitive athletics.
Naismith was an
intense student, collecting four degrees in the diverse fields
of Philosophy, Religion, Physical Education and Medicine.
Although he never had the opportunity to see the game become the
astonishing spectacle it is today, Naismith's biggest thrill
came when he was sponsored by the National Association of
Basketball Coaches (NABC) to witness basketball become an
Olympic sport at the 1936 Games held in Berlin.
Naismith became
famous for creating the game of basketball, a stroke of genius
that never brought him fame or fortune during his lifetime, but
enormous recognition following his passing in 1939.
For his historic
invention, Naismith's name adorns the world's only Basketball
Hall of Fame, a tribute that forever makes James Naismith.
synonymous with basketball.
Abner Doubleday,
who didn't invent baseball, is probably a more widely recognized
name than Naismith, who did invent basketball. And even those
who know about him continue to learn more about the man who
invented a sport designed for offseason physical exercise, which
began with his own 13 basic rules, but which has grown to become
a game not for a specific culture or nation or ethnic group, but
for an entire planet to share and enjoy.
Naismith is the
only coach in University of Kansas men's basketball history to
own a losing record. Naismith was 55-60 from 1898 to 1907, which
mattered little to him only in that one of his most famous
quotes was that basketball was never meant to be coached,
anyway, only to be played. History of BasketBall The new game
was explained by 13 basic rules and was played with a soccer
ball, peach baskets and nine to a side. There have been major
changes to the game since that first contest, which is believed
to have been played Dec. 21, 1891.
But perhaps what
is most amazing about Naismith's creation, other than the fact
that few sports that are purposely invented actually stand the
test of time, is that the essence of basketball-throwing a ball
into an elevated goal-has remained the focus from day one.
Today, Naismith
would be universally recognized as a genius, a Bill Gates of
sport. And in all likelihood, the opportunity would exist for
him to become a multi-millionaire.
But if Naismith
was The Basketball Man, he was not The Money Man, and life in
1891 was far different than in 1991 or 2001.
But if Naismith's
invention did not lead to profit, it did lead to huge popularity
for basketball. Even in the final years of the 19th century,
with communication and transportation that was primitive by
today's standards, the game's growth was palpable, immediate and
widespread.
James Naismith
had changed the face of sport, not so much for the 19th century,
but the 20th, and it is now clear, the 21st. All in an effort to
keep unruly students at bay.
|
