Posts Tagged ‘History’
The Golden State Warriors is Oakland, California’s main and only basketball team. The team, in the beginning, was baptized as the Golden State Warriors, but most people only refer to them as the Warriors. The team was birthed in 1946 and under the original name Philadelphia Warriors. They were based out of Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The franchise was extremely lucky and managed do away with a win during inaugural season championship of the Basketball Association of America, or the presently known NBA. It was only in 1962 when the franchise moved to San Francisco, their new home. Along with the team’s move, their name was changed to the San Francisco Warriors until they year 1971, when it changed again to become the Golden State Warriors. Despite their many name changes, the team has a group of loyal fans who readily buy Warrior tickets, as soon as they’re sold.
The Golden State Warriors are responsible for some of basketball’s most unforgettable moments, winning the championship for a total of 3 times. Fans who had gotten Warrior tickets in the inaugural championship of 1946 to 1947 were fortunate enough to witness a win. Those who again purchased Warrior tickets in the championship of 1955 to 1956 and that of 1974 to 1975 were also treated to respective victories. In fact, the Golden State Warriors’ record stands as 5th in the total number of wins.
The first year the Golden State Warriors were around, Peter Tyrell, the same owner of the Philadelphia Rockets, the hockey team of the state, owned the franchise. Peter Tyrell then got the assistance of Eddie Gottlieb, a long time promoter, not to sell Warrior tickets, but to serve as the team’s coach and general manager. Under the Eddie Gottlieb and basketball sensation Joe Fulks’ expertise, the team demolished the Chicago Stags and walked away as champions.
During the 1955 to ’56 season, the Warriors were champions once again after defeating the Fort Wayne Pistons. Some of the members of that team have made it into the basketball Hall of Fame namely Paul Arizin, Michael Bryson and Neil Johnston. 1959 was the fateful year that the team managed to obtain Wilt Chamberlain in a draft. His records and style of play revolutionized basketball and changed it to what it is today. At one time, Chamberlain made 100 points against the New York Knicks, making that game and those Warrior tickets one of the most memorable in basketball history.
After these stellar performances, the Golden State Warriors championship stint seemed to go down. They went through rough times, causing them to lose their place among NBA’s top teams. Today, the team is at the brink of rebuilding, strengthening their coaching staff, as well as their present members. With much work and dedication, the Warriors will one day become the champions again!
Getting La Lakers tickets would be a dream-come-true as they are hot in demand. LA Lakers is one of the star teams of NBA from the time it has joined them. This label has contributions from its players, records, awards, coaches and even star fans! It has had some of the greatest players in the history of the game, like Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson, on its rolls. At the end of 2005-06 season it recorded the most wins (2806), maximum finals appearances (28), second most championship winners (14) and also highest winning percentage (61.5). That’s the reason, they are considered as the most successful franchise in the NBA.
LA Lakers holds the record for the longest consecutive win streak of 33 in the country’s professional team sports. Forbes values them at 8 million, the second most valuable basketball franchise in the United States. Surely that explains why La Lakers tickets are not less valuable that gold. Not only that, 8 of 50 best players in the history, nominated by NBA in 1997, played significant portions of their careers with LA Lakers.
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La Lakers also boasts of a glittery fan list from Hollywood including Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Leonardo Dicaprio, Dustin Hoffman, Pete Sampras, Andy Garcia, Sylvester Stallone, Ice Cube, Tobey Maguire, Edward Norton, Ashton Kutcher, Salma Hayek, Snoop Dogg, Dyan Cannon, Justin Timberlake, Demi Moore, Ray Lewis and Tyra Banks! You could join them too by getting La Lakers tickets.
There are some unique achievements too, like the 81-point performance by Kobe Bryant’s in 2006 was the second highest point total in League history. If you are a video game buff, then you can watch the video called “How to Stop the Lakers”. This was the result of their high popularity during 2000’s when the trio of Coach Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal brought three straight championships.
It was founded in Detroit before moving to Minneapolis. There they went on to win 5 league championships before relocating to Los Angeles where they were named LA Lakers, in reference to the large cargo-carrying ships that traversed the Great Lakes. The current arena of the team is Staple Center, located at Los Angeles, California, USA. They were the first team to join the Western Conference of NBA. Catch them on court with La Lakers tickets.
Today it has become one of the predominant teams in the NBA. The coordination between Coach Phil Jackson and star Kobe Bryant has led to many resonant victories for the team. Coach Jackson as a player was known as the ‘Zen Master’ of Chicago Bulls. One of the greatest coaches of all times, he was the one who popularized ‘The Triangle Offense’.
They finished 2nd place in the viciously spirited Pacific Division in the 2006-07 season and their fans are hoping to see the best. The Lakers strands always go packed out, in the anticipation of a game high on drama and adrenaline. So get your LA Lakers tickets today and see them in action, this 2007- 08 season! If you want to get your tickets from home, you can always go online. There are scores of online sites selling NBA tickets, but it is advisable to go in for an authorized online site only.
The NCAA Basketball Tournament is among us. This tournament is a looking glass for human hope, excellence and positive social change. It is, in short, a microcosm of the human existence, with all of its exuberance, tragedy and triumph. The NCAA Basketball Tournament is American sports.
The excitement and tradition of “March Madness” or the NCAA Basketball Tournament as we know it today has been shaped by many significant events in NCAA tournament history: The first NCAA men’s basketball tournament was held in 1939 with the first NCAA tournament championship game held at Northwestern on March 27, 1939. Only eight teams competed in two regions. Oregon defeated Ohio State in the championship game, and the West region held a third-place game.
Although the NCAA basketball tournament now determines the national champion, that was not always the case. Until the 1950′s, the NIT was considered a more prestigious tournament than the NCAA basketball tournament, and teams often chose to enter the NIT and bypass the NCAA tourney. Because of this dichotomy, two of the best centers of the 1940′s never met in an NCAA basketball tournament. George Mikan’s DePaul team traditionally entered the NIT, while Bob Kurland’s of Oklahoma.
In 1973, with the championship game held on Monday night for the first time, UCLA behind Bill Walton’s 44 points on 21 of 22 shooting, won its seventh straight championship, defeating Memphis State. NC State, led by David Thompson, ends UCLA’s title run in 1974, defeating the Bruins in the national semifinals in double overtime.
The following year, the NCAA tournament expanded to 32 teams, and then allowed more than one school from each conference to participate. Prior to this ruling, the restriction prevented several great teams from competing in the tournament, including the 1974 Maryland team. They finished the season nationally ranked #4, yet lost the ACC Conference final game to top-ranked NC State prior to the start of the tournament. After that, the NCAA began to allow more than one team per conference to participate. In 1976, Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosier squad completed an undefeated season with a victory over Michigan in the championship game. The Hoosiers are the last team to go undefeated and win the title.
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The tournament expanded to 40 teams in 1979, and teams were seeded for the first time. “Magic” Earvin Johnson leads Michigan State over Larry Bird and Indiana State to win the national championship. The game drew the attention of millions throughout the country; its 24.1 TV rating remains the highest ever for a college basketball game and is still considered one of the greatest match-ups in NCAA Tournament history.
Expansion followed in 1980 to 48 teams, and then in 1983, to 53 teams. In what many believe is the greatest Cinderella story in college basketball, North Carolina State’s Lorenzo Charles dunks the ball as time expires in the 1983 championship game to lead the Wolfpack to a 54-52 win over heavily favored Akeem Olajuwon and Houston. Perhaps no one figure in college basketball history more personified the spirit of March Madness than Coach Jim Valvano. His underdog North Carolina State Wolfpack did what many consider a miracle by making an incredible run through the 1983 Tournament. Culminating in the defeat of the highly touted “Phi Slamma Jamma” squad from the University of Houston, Valvano was rocketed into the media limelight and quickly became the symbol of exuberance and enthusiasm. He discovered soon afterward that he had bone cancer, and for a short time became a commentator for college basketball. Before his death at age 47, he was named the recipient of the Arthur Ashe award for courage at the first ESPN ESPY awards. It was at this time he announced the formation of the V Foundation for cancer research.
In 1985 the tournament expanded to 64 teams. A Villanova Wildcat team shot a 22 for 28 field goal percentage to defeat Patrick Ewing and defending champion Georgetown in the championship game. Villanova remains the lowest seed (#8) to win the championship. In 1991, Duke upset undefeated UNLV in the semifinals and went on to win the national championship. In 1997, Arizona, led by Mike Bibby, Jason Terry and Miles Simon, becomes the first school to defeat three #1 seeds en route to the national championship, winning against Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky.
The NCAA Tournament’s popularity has grown to rival that of the World Series, the Olympics and the Super Bowl. CBS Sports in 1999 negotiated an 11-year, billion agreement for television, radio, Internet, corporate marketing, licensing, publishing, home video and Hoop City rights for the Division I men’s basketball championship.
Today the NCAA basketball tournament is one of the most watched tournaments of the year. Always exciting you never really know who is going to end up on top!
BasketBall
The history of basketball finds it way back to the year 1891. It was a Canadian physical education instructor by the name of James Naismith who introduced the game of basketball to the world. He was born in Ontario and taught physical education at McGill University and Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. James Naismith, during his stint with Springfield College, a YMCA training school during that time, invented the indoor sport with able support and guidance from the American phys-ed specialist Luther Hasley.
The game commenced with 18 men at Springfield College in Massachusetts. Naismith was given a deadline of 14 days to create an indoor game that would provide “an athletic distraction” (in the words of Hasley) to the nasty and disorderly class. It was a tough call for Naismith, who had to exercise a lot of patience and infuse positive enthusiasm into the minds of his students to engage in an outdoor game that was to be played indoors in the best way possible. He recalled a game he used to play as a child and improvised on its concept.
Naismith was instrumental in laying down 13 rules for the basketball game. The rules stated that the ball should be thrown in any direction with one or both hands. He made it clear that a person could not run with the ball. The player should throw it from the place from which he caught the ball in the first place. Players had to refrain from using the fist when handling or batting the ball. He had termed shouldering, holding, tripping, pushing or striking in any way of an opponent as a foul in the first instance. If things of this nature happened the second time, the person who caused the infringement of the rule would be disqualified or would not be substituted at all. If any side made three consecutive fouls, it was to be counted as a goal for the opposing side.
Naismith also made it clear that if the ball went out of bounds, it had to be thrown into the field of play by the person touching it. This player had the right to hold the ball for only five seconds. If held longer, the chance to throw went to the opposing side. He gave special importance to the umpire who had to judge the player and report to the referee when players made three consecutive fouls. He defined the time period of the game as being comprised of two fifteen-minute halves with fifteen minutes breaks in between. Naismith concluded that the side making the most goals was to be termed as winner.
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The game caught the fancy of the YMCA class and the popularity of the game grew, though Naismith quietly shied away from taking any credit for his invention. He wanted the game to be enjoyed as a recreational activity, but he never imagined that the game would soon develop into a passionate and intensely competitive sport. Naismith’s moment of glory came, however, when he was invited by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to witness basketball become an Olympic sport at the 1936 games in Berlin. He passed away in 1939 and since then the game has grown in fame and prosperity the world over. In 1959, James Naismith entered the Basketball Hall of Fame (called the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame)
The first formal rules for the game were introduced in 1895. It was not until 1897 that teams of five players on each side became standard in the history of basketball. Iron hoops and a hammock style basket came into existence in 1893. A decade later, open-ended nets came into existence, which did away with the practice of manually retrieving the ball from the basket each time a goal was made. After the end of World War II, there was a need to infuse sports entertainment into the large sports arenas during the times not occupied by pro hockey and college basketball games
. This gave rise to the history of basketball in its pure, professional championship format.
Walter Brown of Boston introduced professional basketball in the form of the Basketball Association of America in the summer of 1946. The esteemed members of the new league were New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, Detroit, Chicago, Providence, Toronto, St. Louis, and Boston. The league played in big arenas in large cities but the players were not as talented as the ones in the National Basketball League, the recognized league operating chiefly in smaller cities in the Midwest. However, some people from the NBL joined the fray and the strength of B.A.A picked up as college stars and fresh young talent entered the league. The regular season started and the Washington Capitols were the clear winners in the Eastern Division, with the Philadelphia Warriors taking second place and the New York Knickerbockers grabbing the third and final playoff spot.
The Western Division had the Chicago Stags narrowly edging out the St.Louis Bombers with a one-gain tiebreaker at the end of the regular season. The Cleveland Rebels acquired the third playoff spot. The playoff system devised by the league pitted the first ranking teams, the second ranking teams and the third ranking teams against each other in the opening round. The games began with the Stags usurping the Caps in six games and Philadelphia outdoing St. Louis in a three-game showdown of second-place finishers, while New York defeated Cleveland in three games in the third bracket. The Warriors defeated the Knicks to move into the finals with the Stags.
The finals of the first championship of BAA (the present day NBA) opened in Philadelphia with Joe Fulks scoring 37 points, leading his Warriors to a victory against the Stags. Though the Stags won the fourth game, the Warriors won the overall title with an 83-80 victory with a 34-point contribution from Fulks. Howie Dallmar is credited with hitting the winning basket to break an 80-80 tie, with only a minute left before the finish of the game.
The history of Basketball has witnessed a lot of landmark events that have increased the popularity of the game to dizzying heights. It is almost a second religion to the sport-loving people in the US. No doubt, basketball is heralded as a sport that gives a healthy balance to the physical, mental and spiritual state. This is truly the game that keeps you on your toes!
National Basketball Association (NBA) is the body that governs basketball in the United States and Canada. When the group of owners of the top professional basketball teams met in New York at the Hotel Commodore on June 6, 1946, they formed an association known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). Most of these primary members were the owners of the arenas in the major cities of the United States. In 1949, BAA merged with another league, the National Basketball League (NBL), to form the NBA.
The First NBA Game
The new league’s first game was between the Toronto Huskies and the New York Knickerbockers. The game was played on November 1, 1946 at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, and was won 68-66 by the Knickerbockers in front of a crowd of 7,090 spectators. Considering that every young Canadian then played hockey, this was a very good attendance.
The basketball played then was very different from how it is played today. There was hardly any leaping and feats akin to ballet – as is common in the game today! That first game was from a very different era. Double pump and slam dunks were not a routine maneuver. In fact, the players could not, and did not, jump well. The teams had an unlimited time to shoot, as the 24 second clock had not yet been introduced. The belief, then, by many coaches was that when a player left both his feet off the ground for a shot, it spelled trouble, and so jump shots were hardly taken.
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The BAA started with 11 teams when it formed in 1946, and today there are 30 teams playing in the NBA – 29 teams from the United States and one from Canada. NBA is currently divided into two conferences – the Western and the Eastern conferences, with each conference having three divisions. Each division has five teams in it. Currently, the Boston Celtics is the most successful team in NBA having won 16 NBA Championships. The Los Angeles Lakers come in second with 14 Championships under their belt.
The Origin Of Basketball
Basketball was invented, in 1891, by Dr. James Naismith, a physical education instructor at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. He devised the game when looking for ways to keep his football players in shape during the off season months. By the following year in 1892, he put the rules of the game together, which had 13 rules. The first game of basketball was played in 1893, when he split his team of 18 players into two sides of nine players each.
From such humble beginnings has come the game which is played today by more than 300 million people globally!
The Tickets
NBA tickets are one of the most sought after sports tickets in the United States. Most young Americans, mostly going to school or attending colleges are ardent fans of the game, and look to purchase NBA tickets for the games their favorite teams are involved in.
College sports are some of the most watched and enjoyed events in the entire sporting industry. People are passionate about their colleges, and there are few sports that have as much pride and traditions as these ones do. One school that is rich with history and tradition is that of the Pittsburgh Panthers and their men’s basketball team.
The men’s basketball team at the University of Pittsburgh is part of the NCAA Division 1 intercollegiate sports program and they compete in the Big East conference against many other top teams. The team is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is often referred to as “Pitt”. The team plays all of their home games in the Peterson Events Center where they enjoy a huge fan base from the University.
Throughout their time in the division they have been able to get 15 selections from the first team All-American, as well as win two of the Helms Athletic Foundation National Championships. They have been in the Final Four once, and have appeared in the NCAA tournament 22 different times. They still have yet to clinch a national championship, but they usually recruit enough talent that they are a threat each and every year.
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The men’s basketball team was first formed in 1905 and was coached by Benjamin Printz. There were two years around 1910 were the University did not actually have a team, but they have had one ever since. In the 1920′s, the team was coached by Henry “Doc” Carlson and he helped lead the team to their two national championships (before the NCAA). The team was then led by their all-star player Charlie Hyatt who has since been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. These were some of the glory years for Pitt and continue to be looked upon fondly.
Over the next century, the team passed through a variety of different coaches and players including all-American Billy Knight who helped get the team to the Elite Eight in 1974 and an chance to compete in the NIT a year later.
In 1982, the team entered into the Big East conference. During this time, the team was led by Paul Evans as head coach and with the help of all-Americans Jerome Lane and Charles Smith they were able to capture the Big East Championship twice. Even with these great players, the team failed to meet expectations in the post season.
Most recently, the team is led by Jamie Dixon who has been the head coach since 2003. In 2009 the team was ranked as the number one time for a total of three weeks. During that season, the Pittsburgh Panthers also beat two other formerly number one ranked teams that season and became only the seventh team in NCAA history to do so. In 2010, the team continued their success and ended up losing in the second round to Xavier but still finished with a record of 25-9. Pitt fans are looking forward to this next season to see what Jamie Dixon can do with the newly recruited talent that they got over the summer.
10 Tallest Players in NBA History
1.) Manute Bol
Height: 7’7” Weight: 225 Pounds
Manute Bol played 10 seasons in the NBA (1985-1995). He played for four different teams: Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 18.7 minutes played per game over his career, but only 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 points per game. Considering all he has to do is catch the ball and lay it into the basketball without jumping, how come he only averaged 2.6 points per game? He was known for his blocked-shot ability. He set a rookie record in his 1985-1986 rookie season blocking 397 shots. He is also tied for the most blocked shots in one-half with eleven and is tied for the most blocked shots for one quarter with eight, in which he accomplished twice. He still holds the record for most blocked shots per minute with (.176). He also played with Muggsy Bogues during the Bogues 1987 rookie season pairing the tallest and shortest players in NBA history in one season. He is also the only player in NBA history to block more shots then he has scored.
2.) Gheorghe Muresan
Height: 7’7” Weight: 303 Pounds
Gheorghe Muresan played only 6 seasons in the NBA (1993-2000). He played for two different teams, the Washington Bullets and New Jersey Nets. He averaged 21.9 minutes per game over his career, but only 6.4 rebounds and 9.8 points per game. Another big man, yet a fairy low rebounds/per game average. Some of you might remember Gheorghe Muresan from the movie “My Giant” (1998), where he starred with Billy Crystal and Kathleen Quinlan.
3.) Yao Ming
Height: 7’6” Weight: 310 Pounds
Yao Ming played 6 full seasons and is still currently in his 7th season in the NBA (2002-Present). He has played for the Houston Rockets his whole career in the NBA. He averaged 32.6 minutes per game, while ripping down 9.2 rebounds and scoring 19 points per game till this day. Unlike the 2 tallest centers in the NBA, Yao Ming has been a workhorse and knows how to tally a stat sheet and is the only player in the top 10 tallest NBA players that is still playing.
4.) Shawn Bradley
Height: 7’6” Weight: 275 Pounds
Shawn Bradley played 12 seasons (1993-2005). He has played for three different teams:Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, and Dallas Mavericks, where he spent the majority of his career. He averaged 23.5 minutes, 6.3 rebounds and 8.1 points per game during his career. Although he did average 2.5 blocks per game over his career, he has been known for a “Giant” who got dunked on many time.
5.) Chuck Nevitt
Height: 7’5” Weight:250 Pounds
Chuck Nevitt played 9 seasons in the NBA (1982-1994). He did not play in 3 seasons over the 12 years of his career. He played for five teams throughout his career: Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and San Antonio Spurs. He did not play more then 45 games in any season and just averaged 5.3 minutes, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.6 points per game throughout his career. Throughout his career he basically got play time during garbage minutes meaning his team usually had a big lead or was down to much to make a comeback, especially in Detroit. While in Detroit, the fans called Detroit’s blow-outs, when Nevitt was able to get his minutes, “Nevitt Time”. His nine seasons of minutes played totaled up to be about the length of 18 full NBA games.
6.) Slavko Vranes
Height: 7’5” Weight: 275 Pounds
Slavko Vranes only played three minutes in one game with the Portland Trailblazers during his entire NBA career (2003-2004). He was drafted by the New York Knicks in 2003, but was released during the season, not playing one minute of any Knicks game. The Portland Trailblazers signed him a month after his release from the New York Knicks to a 10-day contract, where he played his only three minutes in the NBA.
7.) Mark Eaton
Height: 7’4” Weight: 290 Pounds
Mark Eaton played 11 seasons in the NBA (1982-1993) and spent his whole career with the Utah Jazz. He averaged 28.8 minutes, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.0 points per game throughout his career. Mark Eaton was known for being a monster on defense averaging 3.5 blocks per game over his career and during his third season in the NBA he averaged a whopping 5.6 blocks per game.
8.) Rik Smits
Height: 7’4” Weight: 265 Pounds
Rik Smits played 12 seasons in the NBA (1988-2000). Just like Mark Eaton, Rik Smits played his NBA career with one team, the Indiana Pacers. He averaged 26.6 minutes played, 6.1 rebounds, and 14.8 points scored per game during his career. Similar to Ralph Sampson and Mark Eaton, Rik Smits has had very a productive career.
9.) Ralph Sampson
Height: 7’4” Weight: 235 Pounds
Ralph Simpson played 9 seasons in the NBA (1983-1992). He played for four different teams: Houston Rockets, (where he spent the first half of his career), Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, and Washington Bullets. He averaged 29.8 minutes played, 8.8 rebounds, and 15.4 points per game throughout his NBA career. He was teammates with another 7-foot player ,Hakeem Olajuwon, they were nicknamed the “Twin Towers”.Throughout the middle of his career he battled knee injuries because of his big frame and when he was traded for the Rockets he was never able to stay healthy for a full season of games battling with knee and back injuries.
10.) Priest Lauderdale
Height: 7’4” Weight: 325 Pounds
Priest Lauderdale only played 2 seasons in the NBA (1996-1998). He played one season with the Atlanta Hawks and one season with the Denver Nuggets. During his two-year career in the NBA, he averaged 7.1 minutes, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.4 points. After he left the NBA, he went to play basketball in Bulgaria.
What is it about basketball that makes it soo popular? Why are there so many people who take interest in being part of the game? Wherever you go, you will spot people both young and old who get hooked on basketball. They say it is cool to be playing the game but aside from that there are several values and disciplines that one can derive from basketball. But how did basketball start out? Let us take a glimpse of the history of basketball.
Dr. James Naismith is known to be the father of basketball who came up with the concept in the year 1892. The very first basketball game was held on April 8, 1893 in Beaver Falls Pennsylvania. The first two competing teams were the Geneva College and New Brighton YMCA. It then popularized so that by the year 1914, there were at least 360 basketball teams formed by different colleges. The very first NCAA Men’s College Basketball Championship was then held in 1939 and was bagged by the University of Oregon.
Due to the conflict of interests, professional basketball teams were then molded. These teams started playing for money. It was in 1898 that the National Basketball League or NBL was produced and spearheaded by Barney Sedran and Ed Wachter. Within the course of basketball pro teams, the first teams to have a taste of success were the Celtics and the Buffalo Germans followed by the Harlem Globetrotters and New York Renaissance in the 1930s. It was also in these times when basketball for women started booming with the exemplary star players such as Alline Banks Sprouse and Babe Didrikson.
In the 1940s, the very first basketball games in the colleges were broadcasted on national television. The first to be shown was the game that was contested by Fordham and Pittsburgh at the Madison Square Garden. This then heightened the popularity of the game. Its fame spread like madness and was obviously watched by the whole of the United States especially the tournament that was played by 350 American college basketball teams for the NCAA championship.
On a yearly basis, there were new basketball teams that surfaced to be the most favorites of the crowd. And all through the years, the game enthusiasts continued to sharpen their skills and executed notable moves in the courts. To date, the history of basketball is revered and an inspiration to many.
Modern day basketball can trace it’s origins to early December 1891 when Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian physical education teacher and a local instructor at Springfield, Massachusetts’ YMCA Training School was desperately seeking an indoor game active and fit during cold, snowy New England winters. After trying several different games and finding them too dangerous or not quite suitable for gymnasiums, Naismith wrote down the essential rules of basketball, incorporating some of the rules of a popular children’s game of the era, “Ducks on a Pond,” and then nailed a peach basket on an upraised track, ten feet above the playing surface. Of course, since the peach baskets still had closed bottoms, retrieving a ball after a player scored a basket was terribly inefficient – unbelievably, the game had to be stopped for someone to retrieve the ball with a dowel. And although the first official game was played in January of 1892, at the YMCA gymnasium Naismith’s handwritten diaries at the time indicate that he was extremely nervous about the new game he invented, fearing that his basketball wouldn’t take.
Oddly, in that first official game of basketball, there were nine players on a side and the winning team won a close fought 1-0 battle with a 25-foot shot – on a court barely half the size of the modern day court! By 1897 teams of five had become standard. Around the same time, women’s basketball was developed at nearby Smith College when Sandra Berenson, a physical education teacher at the college modified many of the rules for women to play. As it turned out, Berenson was fascinated by the values of teamwork, fair play and vigorous exercise that basketball promoted and began organizing some of the first women’s basketball games by 1893. By 1899 Berenson’s rules for women’s basketball were published and by the turn of the century, she was the editor of A.G. Spaulding’s legendary Women’s Basketball Guide which spread her version of basketball across the country to countless physical education instructors across the country. In fact, with the help of many YMCA instructors, basketball was promoted throughout the United States and Canada, paving the way for the game to be established as a varsity sport at many high schools. Sadly (and perhaps ironically), the YMCA began to discourage basketball by 1905, fearing that rowdy; belligerent crowds and rough play distracted from the organization’s mission. But that didn’t matter much as amateur clubs, colleges, high schools and even several short-lived professional basketball clubs and leagues not only filled in the void but also helped promote the game. Basketball was becoming so popular that the forebear to the NCAA, known as the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States and the Amateur Athletic Union fought for control of the game’s rules and of its future.
A little known fact is that during those first decades, basketball was primarily played with soccer balls, which were difficult to dribble. Most games consisted of players passing the ball to each other in order to advance it up and down the court. It wasn’t for some time until a ball was specifically designed and made for basketball and frequently basketballs were irregularly made, creating an odd scene for modern basketball fans. It wasn’t until the late 1940s when college basketball was becoming insanely popular and viable enough to pave the way for the National Basketball Association’s popularity that Tony Hinkle developed the orange basketball that fans are so familiar with. Of course, it should not be forgotten that Naismith was also influential in the promotion and creation of men’s college basketball when he became the University of Kansas ’ first basketball team. And believably, many of Naismith’s first students and disciples became important in the history of college basketball including Amos Alonzo Stagg, Forrest “Phog” Allen, and Adolph Rupp.
For more information on basketball, visit http://www.basketballmicroblog.com and http://www.basketballmicroblogging.com.
For one to appreciate what he sees now, he must have a glimpse from the past. Here, we have gathered some data regarding the history of the National Basketball Association which became the symbol of Basketball.
From the combined efforts of the National Basketball League and Basketball Association of America, NBA was given birth in 1949. While the American public was quite skeptic on the game, history proves that this later became the most well-loved game in history that its story is marked by hundred of events that led us here now.
After World War II, American businesses boomed, more particularly the sports businesses. By this time, the only large-scale basketball league was the National Basketball League (NBL) in the mid-west.
The various owners of the indoor sports businesses then congregated to form the Basketball Association of America. There were just 13 cities that were given franchises however, two backed-out from the national league, the Indianapolis and the Buffalo. The 11 left were the following:
• Boston Celtics
• New York Knickenbockers
• Philadelphia Warriors
• Providence Steamrollers
• Toronto Huskies
• Washington Gardens
• Chicago Stags
• Cleveland Rebels
• Detroit Falcons
• Pittsburgh Ironmen, and
• St Louis Bombers
While the new league was acknowledged in the cities, the take-off was still mediocre. Nevertheless, this debut league led to more popularity on the part of the National Basketball league as it was played in the larger cities. But everything was yet to unfold.
The first and second season of the BBA met dramatic changes which led them towards the acquisition of 4 teams from the NBL. With a decrease of 48 from 60 games from the first season and the dropping out of four teams, the BBA was forced to import Baltimore Bullets from the American Basketball League, a regional basketball circuit to meet the balance between the 7 remaining teams.
Apart from the loss of the four teams and the star George Mikan, NBL suffered a loss of public interest due to their failure to play in the cities that led them to their downfall in the 1948-1949 season. They packed up at the end of the season and dissolved.
During this time, the National Basketball Association was formed. The six remaining teams from the NBL joined the BBA. Indianapolis Olympians joined the league and both Indianapolis Jets and Providence Steamrollers backed-out. This set of seventeen teams went on to commence the NBA as we know it today.