BASKETBALL

 

            Basketball is played between two teams of five players each on a rectangular court. The object is to get the ball through a hoop mounted high up on a backboard at each end. It is of the most popular sports in the US and worldwide.

History

            James A. Naismith invented the game in the early 1890s. The game caught on quickly in the United States. At first it was played with nine players on a team and a peach basket for the goal. In 1896 the first college basketball game with five team members on a side was played at the University of Iowa. During the 1930s several rules were changed to speed up the game. Canada was the first country outside the United States to play the game. Basketball was introduced in France in 1893, in London in 1894, in Australia, China, and India soon thereafter, and in Japan in 1900. The metal hoop was not invented until 1906. The popularity of basketball grew steadily between the 1940s and 1970s. Television played an important role in this. Such great players as Earvin (―Magic‖) Johnson, Julius Erving (―Dr. J‖), Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan also contributed to the popularity of basketball. It soon became a sport that was played all over the world.