Basketball Begins to Grow in Popularity
Mr. Naismith was a professor at Springfield College in Massachusetts and was asked to invent a sport for the season in between baseball and football. Naismith figured that with the weather of this season, it would be best to invent an indoor game, basketball.
On top of inventing the game, he also was admitted to the Basketball Hall of Fame, which none the less was also named after him. Basketball has come a long way since Mr. Naismith, but it wouldn't have been possible without him.
Basketball Begins to Grow in Popularity
1. Basketball in the YMCA
James Naismith did a great deed to the world of sports when he invented
basketball, but he went even further. With his great idea and a place
to use it, the YMCA, Mr. Naismith began to make basketball a popular sport.
He started by simply teaching the sport where he worked and eventually
his idea began to catch on. Soon colleges were adopting the sport and
fielding teams. From there, basketball as we know it began.
Basketball Goes College
Some of the first colleges to adopt a basketball program were Princeton,
Harvard, Yale, and Cornell. These teams made up what was the first inter-collegiate
basketball league. There were a total of eight teams.
As time went on, basketball changed. It started out as a game of patience
and strategy. Most of the first games had scores that never were more
than 15 or 20 points. The ivy league dominated the college basketball
spotlight through the forties. As time went on many more colleges got
into the swing of things and created teams and these teams joined leagues
and so on. All of this led to the emergence of the NCAA. (National Collegiate
Athletic Association)
The NCAA
As more and more colleges began to start teams to play this inventive
game a higher order took over. The NCAA incorporates much more than basketball,
in fact it covers all sports of the Division I colleges. It's importance
in basketball, shows up mainly in the season ending tournament.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is responsible for determining
the best college team in all the land. The NCAA tournament is where the
pros of tomorrow exhibit their skills and abilities.
Basketball Becomes a Professional Occupation
The CBA
The CBA, also known as the Continental Basketball Association, was founded
in 1946. It now serves as the developmental league of the NBA. The calibur
of players in the CBA is not what it is in the NBA, but the competition
is very intense. The CBA can be looked on as the minor leagues of baseball.
The CBA is a great opportunity for players to play and show their talents
to prospective NBA scouts.
The NBA
The NBA, the National Basketball Association, is the forerunner of modern
basketball at its highest form. This league is more than basketball, it
is a multi-million dollar business with contracts, deals, and the best
players of all time. The NBA plays a big role in the importance of college
basketball and the NCAA.
Many of the players that sign contracts in the NBA come right out of college.
Therefore, players that can prove their worth in the NCAA usually wind
up very rich individuals!!! The NBA is the parent league of the CBA and
often the players that can prove themselves in the CBA move up to NBA.
Basketball Today
Basketball As a Fun Activity
Basketball today has become a great way for friends and family to enjoy
themselves. Around the world millions of people have basketball rims on
their driveways and in their neighborhood parks. Basketball is used for
a means of physical activity as well as for a stress reliever. James Naismith
had no idea what he had invented.
A Child's Dream
Kids across the World dream of what it would be like to be a professional
basketball player. Every kid wants to be like Michael Jordan or Magic
Johnson or whoever the new star might be. They practice religiously in
hopes of becoming the best.
Basketball has provided much more than a game that is watched and played.
It has given many children a dream.
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Text by Archie H
Photo by Archie H
Graphic by Aaron L and Geoff D