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While James Naismith was studying at Springfield College in
Massachusetts, his instructor in Physical Education, Luther Gulick,
assigned his students the task of developing a new recreational game,
something that would provide relief from all the calisthenics and drills.
Some time later, when he reviewed the responses, he found that none were
complete enough to be adopted into a game. Yet Gulick chose Naismith's
plan among the other proposals and helped him develop some rules. |
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The day arrived to test out his new game with the class. On
his way to the gymnasium he asked the janitor if he had two boxes eighteen
inches square. The janitor reflected "I have two old peach baskets
down in the storeroom, if they will do you any good." James examined
them thoughtfully. They were about fifteen inches in diameter around the
top. With a hammer and nails, James attached the baskets to the lower rail
of the balcony, one at each end of the gym about ten feet above the floor.
After outlining the rules and selecting teams, the first game of
basketball in history was played at Springfield, Massachusetts in December,
1891. |
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The spread of the game into foreign countries began soon
after its origin. The Y Training school in Springfield was an
international one, with students from all over the world. After their
schooling they would return home carrying knowledge of the game of
basketball with them. In less than two years, basketball had been
introduced into more than a dozen countries. American military and naval
forces, arranging games and tournaments both at home and abroad, were also
important agents in spreading basketball abroad. |
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BASKETBALL MILESTONES
- Dec 21, 1891 - Dr. James Naismith an instructor at the School
for Christian Workers (Now Springfield College) invents the game of
basketball.
- 1892 - Lew Allen of Hartford Connecticut makes cylindrical
baskets of heavy woven wire to eliminate peach baskets.
- 1894 - Soccer balls replaced by basketballs.
- 1895 - The first game played between colleges: Minnesota
State School of Agriculture9, Hamline College (of St. Paul) 3.
- 1898 - First professional league formed and called the
National Basketball League with six teams.
- 1905 - Lawrence College in Wisconsin conducts the first state
high school tournament, won by Fond du Lac.
- 1923-24 - Person fouled has to shoot the foul shot. This
eliminates the designed foul shooter.
- 1929 - The cage eliminated. Use of rope or chicken wire
around the court discontinued.
- 1936 - Basketball played for first time as an official
Olympic sport. United States defeats Canada 19-8, for gold medal in
Berlin.
- 1937 - Center jump after each score eliminated; 10 second
rule goes into effect.
- 1943 - Bob Kurland, 7 feet, enrolls in Oklahoma State
University, and Georage Mikan, 6 feet 10 inches enrolls at DePaul. The
first real big men become a dominant force in the game.
- 1945-46 - Kenny Sailors of Wyoming University credited for
making the jump shot practical.
- 1948-49 - Rectangular glass backboards made official for
college play.
- 1949 - Basketball Association of America and the National
League merge to become the NBA.
- 1950 - Charles Cooper of Duquee becomes the first black
drafted in the NBBA
- 1951 - First NBA All-Star Game played at Boston Garden: East
111, West 94.
- 1954 - First time the 24-second clock used in an NBA game.
Rochester beats Boston, 98-95.
- 1962 - Wilt Chamberlain scores 100 points against the Knicks
to lead Philadelphia Warriors to a 169-147 victory.
- 1967 - The American Basketball Association born with George
Mikan as its first commissioner.
- 1967-68 - The dunk banned in NCAA competition.
- 1971-72 - Women's rule changes - size of the team reduced
from six to five players; 30 second clock adopted.
- 1972 - Freshman rule adopted for college basketball
- 1974 - Moses Malone signs with Utah Stars of the ABA, the
first professional player to go from high school into the pros.
- 1976 - Dunk put back into college game.
- 1976 - Women's basketball becomes an official Olympic sport.
Soviet Union defeats United States for the Gold medal.
- 1976-77 - The ABA is dissolved.
- 1978-79 - The NBA adds a third official for games
- 1979-80 - The NBA adopts a 3-point field goal and votes to
eliminate third official.
- 1984-85 - The NCAA approves smaller basketball for women.
- 1984 - Georgeann Wells of West Virginia becomes the first
woman to dunk a basketball in college competition.
- 1985-86 - The NCAA approves a 45 second clock for all men's
game.
- 1987 - NBA adds four new franchisees. Charlotte and Miami (to
begin play in 1988) and Orlando and Minnesota (to begin play in 1989)
- 1989 - The Olympics decide professional basketball players
can be included.
- 1995 Raptors added to the NBA
- 1995 Grizzlies added to the NBA
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