Basketball is a sport with a history that is very different from many modern sports. While many of the present day team sports evolved from variations of past sports, basketball is unique, having been invented by Dr. James Naismith, a physician and minister working for the college for YMCA professionals (later called Springfield College, in Massachusetts). Seeking a rigorous game that could be played indoors during the New England winter to occupy restless young men, Naismith sat down in December of 1891 and developed the first set of rules for the game.
Legend has it that Naismith nailed a peach basket ten foot high on an elevated track. The first game was played on January 20, 1982, in the YMCA gymnasium, with nine players and a court half the size of a present day NBA court. A student suggested calling the game “basketball”, which seemed to be popular and stuck.
The original game was played with a soccer ball, and the first designated basketballs were brown. However, due to their lack of visibility to both players and crowds of fans, Tony Hinkle developed the modern day orange basketball in the late 1950’s nnd it is still used today. The college and pro basketballs are different from one another.
By: Peter Portero
Posts Tagged ‘Gymnasium’
Origin of Basketball – Part 1
April 25th, 2010Basketball Hoops
March 19th, 2010
When basketball was discovered, the hoop was actually a basket, hence the name basketball. As time went on, the basic backboard became bigger, and as rules changed, the net was added. Different styles of basketball hoops are available, for residential, institutional, and gymnasium uses.
There are both indoor and outdoor types of basketball hoops. The introduction of low-priced basketball hoops on the market made basketball more popular. Most hoops have height-adjusting capabilities, from 7′ to 11′. Most have steel backboard frames. These types of steel hoops are called lifetime basketball hoops. The hoops can be anchored on the wall (wall-anchor frames) or in the ground (ground-anchor frames) or portable. Some portable basketball hoops have bases that have to be filled with water or by sand. Portable basketball hoops allow you to play basketball anywhere. New portable basketball hoops are less expensive and easier to maintain.
The diameter of the hoop is usually same, except in certain local fairs. There are
specially designed basketball hoops with second rims for players who want to develop some special abilities. Some basketball hoops are provided with an auto rebounder that returns the ball to the shooter after every shot. There are mini-basketball hoops for fun and for relieving stress, especially when you are in the office.
If you buy basketball hoops for children, it is recommended that you buy an adjustable hoop so you can start them with low height and you won’t have to buy a new one every year. Before buying a basketball hoop, compare different offers and features. The price of basketball hoops vary according to use, design, and materials used. The price of an outdoor hoop starts at $450, an institutional hoop starts at $5,000, portable indoor hoop starts at $550, and portable outdoor starts at $350. Many basketball hoop manufacturers offer a five-year warranty. Both new and used basketball hoops are available on the market. If you are buying an old one, make sure that the rims are not bent or dirty.
By: Eddie Tobey
