• The history of the game of basketball dates back to the late 1890’s and was developed by Mr. James Naismith
• The history of professional basketball has led to the formation of the NBA, the world’s dominant basketball league

The sport of basketball has come a long way since its humble beginnings in a gymnasium located in Springfield Massachusetts. The history of basketball in the United States stretches back over 100 years to late 1891 to be exact. The first game consisted of two, nine-man teams, two peach baskets, and one soccer ball. The final score was 1-0. A far cry from what the sport has evolved into today. Here, at Electro-Mech, we not only produce quality electronic basketball scoreboards but we also interested in history of one of our favorite sport games.

The man credited with founding the sport of basketball, James Naismith, wanted to develop a game that could be played indoors during the harsh Massachusetts winter months. When Mr. Naismith was developing his game, he found some influence from some unlikely sources; the ancient Mayan and Aztec cultures. Both cultures had similar games in which the object was to somehow get a rubber ball through a vertical ring mounted on a wall. Mr. Naismith used these ancient games as the basis for his new game, called basketball due to the use of peach baskets. In the early stages of the sport, players were required to be stationary, but that was later modified to the dribbling and passing rules that are common today.

Professional basketball got its start in 1898 with a six-team league called the National League but the league only lasted a total of six years and folded in 1904. After Mr. Naismith brought basketball to the University of Kansas, college basketball became an early pioneer of organized leagues. In the early 1900’s, several universities began to field teams and in 1908, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) was formed. They were the governing body of 30 small, independent conferences and in 1939 they decided to form the United States championship. The participants were determined by the winners of their individual conference tournaments. The tournament has now grown to 64 teams and has become one of the most anticipated events in the basketball universe.

In 1949, the National Basketball Association was formed and quickly became the dominant basketball league in the world. A new league challenged the NB A in the 1970’s called the ABA. Although it had some popular years the league was eventually abandoned. Despite the failure, four teams from the ABA, the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, New Jersey Nets, and Indiana Pacers, joined the NBA. The NBA has grown in popularity, particularly in the 1980’s and 1990’s when it was populated with stars such as Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and of course, Michael Jordan. The league continues to attract the top talent from around the world to play on the biggest stage of all, the NBA Finals.

The history of basketball in the Unites States is a long and rich one spanning over 100 years. From the early rudimentary beginnings, the sport has developed into a high flying display of athleticism and skill. The game has reached every corner of the nation and has developed a strong international following as well; quite a long journey from its early days in a small, Springfield Massachusetts gymnasium.