A HISTORY250® SPECIAL - Of Peach Baskets and Giants

In 1891, James Naismith invented basketball at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, with two peach baskets and a soccer ball. This HISTORY250® Special traces the game's evolution from those peach baskets through the founding of the NBA, the great rivalries of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, the ABA merger and the three-point shot, the Magic vs Bird era that rescued the league, March Madness, the rise of women's basketball, and the modern game played in more than 200 countries. Basketball is, more than any other American sport, a gift to the world.

Key Takeaways

James Naismith invented basketball in December 1891 at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. He nailed two peach baskets beneath the gym's balconies and wrote 13 original rules. Running with the ball was prohibited; only passing and shooting existed at first.
The game evolved quickly: Spalding manufactured the first basketball with hand stitching and laces; the free throw line settled at 15 feet; backboards moved from mesh to wood to glass; nylon nets arrived in 1912; and the eight-panel laceless ball became the standard in 1937.
At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, 6-foot-8 Joe Fortenberry jumped above the rim and slammed the ball through the net. A New York Times reporter described it as "pitching the ball downward into the hoop, much like a cafeteria customer dunking a roll in coffee," which put a new word into the basketball lexicon.
The NBA was founded in 1949 when the Basketball Association of America merged with the National Basketball League. Within a year the league desegregated. George Mikan was the first dynasty player, so dominant that in 1950 the Fort Wayne Pistons stalled an entire game to beat his Lakers 19-18. The NBA created the 24-second shot clock in response.
Bill Russell won 11 NBA championships across 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics, coaching himself in the final two. His rival, the 7-foot-1 Wilt Chamberlain, scored 100 points in a single game on March 2, 1962, a record that still stands. Wilt's dominance forced the NBA to widen the lane from 12 to 16 feet and to ban dunking on free throws.
The 1976 ABA-NBA merger brought stylish dunks and a red-white-and-blue ball into the league. The three-point shot was adopted in 1979. The 1980s Lakers-Celtics rivalry between Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar revived the NBA's popularity. Women's basketball evolved from six-on-six teams into the modern game led by stars like Caitlin Clark. Basketball is now played in more than 200 countries.

Questions & Answers (FAQ)

Q1: Who invented basketball and when?

James Naismith, a graduate student and physical education instructor at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, invented basketball in 1891. The first game was played on December 21, 1891. Naismith was asked by his superintendent, Luther Halsey Gulick, to come up with a wintertime activity for students who could not play football or lacrosse in the cold.

Q2: What were the original rules of basketball?

Naismith wrote 13 original rules. The game used two peach baskets as goals and a soccer ball. Running with the ball was prohibited. Inbound passes had a five-second window. Only passing and shooting were allowed at first (no dribbling). Each team had nine players to start, later reduced to five. Games lasted 30 minutes. Whichever team had the most goals won. There were no free throws, no backboards, and no nets in the original version.

Q3: When was the NBA founded?

The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was founded in 1946. Three years later, in 1949, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League to form the National Basketball Association, the NBA we know today. Within a year of the merger, the NBA racially desegregated.

Q4: How did Wilt Chamberlain change the NBA rules?

Wilt Chamberlain was 7-foot-1 and physically dominant near the basket. On March 2, 1962, he scored 100 points in a single game, a record that has never been broken. In response to his dominance, the NBA expanded the lane (the painted area near the basket) from 12 feet to 16 feet wide. The league also banned dunking on free throws, because Chamberlain liked to get a running start, lift off from the foul line, and slam the ball home.

Q5: When did the three-point shot enter basketball?

The American Basketball Association (ABA) introduced the three-point shot in 1967. When the ABA and NBA merged in 1976, the three-pointer was not adopted right away. The NBA officially added the three-point line in 1979. ABA Commissioner George Mikan, who had also been the NBA's first superstar, said of the three-pointer: "We called it the home run. It brought fans out of their seats."

A Game Invented at a YMCA

In 1891, the game of basketball entered the world in the town of Springfield, Massachusetts. At the International YMCA Training School, there resided James Naismith, an instructor and graduate student. Luther Halsey Gulick, the school's Superintendent of physical education, directed Naismith to invent a wintertime activity for bored students unable to play football and lacrosse in the cold weather. Little did Naismith know that his invention would one day become a global sensation.

December 21, 1891: Naismith's 13 Rules

When first played on December 21, 1891, the game invented by Naismith involved two peach baskets nailed beneath the YMCA's balconies. Players from opposing teams attempted to throw a soccer ball into their rival's peach basket. A successful throw counted for a goal, and whichever team had the most goals at the end of thirty minutes won the game.

Altogether, Naismith devised a list of thirteen rules for basketball. Running with the ball was prohibited. A five second window was required for inbound passes. At first, only passing and shooting existed (no dribbling). Once a player caught a pass, he had to shoot the ball or pass to another player.

The Game Evolves

Throughout the 1890s and early 1900s, and as it spread to other YMCAs and college campuses, basketball adopted more of its now recognizable components. Its own ball, invented by Albert Spalding, featured hand stitching and laces. Free throws were introduced at a distance of 20 feet from the basket. The line soon moved to 15 feet, where it remains today. A backboard arrived to block spectators in the balcony from touching the ball: first mesh, then wood, then finally glass to allow for better spectating.

Field goals counted for two points and free throws for one. Each team fielded five players, and unlimited dribbling was permitted for advancing the ball up the court. In 1912, open-ended nylon nets arrived, and rebounding entered into basketball's lexicon. In 1937, the Spalding company created a ball without laces and would, over the years, develop the eight-panel format still in use today.

Joe Fortenberry and the Birth of the "Dunk"

At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, a 6-foot-8 Texan named Joe Fortenberry jumped so high that his head was above the rim, then slammed the ball through the net. The term "dunk" had already existed. But a New York Times reporter praised Fortenberry's capacity to "pitch the ball downward into the hoop, much like a cafeteria customer dunking a roll in coffee."

The NBA Is Founded and Desegregated

In 1946, the Basketball Association of America was founded. Three years later it merged with the National Basketball League and formed the National Basketball Association, better known as the NBA. Within a year of the merger, the NBA made the decision to racially desegregate.

George Mikan and the 24-Second Shot Clock

Professional basketball's first star was George Mikan of the NBA's first dynasty team, the Minneapolis Lakers. Mikan stood 6-foot-10 and was such a dominant scorer that in 1950 the Fort Wayne Pistons held the ball to keep it out of Mikan's hands. At the end of the 48-minute game, the scoreboard read: Pistons 19, Lakers 18. In response, the league created a 24 second shot clock. This was not Mikan's first time forcing a rule change. In 1944, the NCAA had introduced a ban on goaltending, which occurred when giants like Mikan interfered with a ball already on its downward path into the basket.

Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and 100 Points

In 1956, the 6-foot-10 Bill Russell joined the Boston Celtics and proceeded to win 11 NBA championships across a total of 13 seasons. Russell even coached himself to glory in his final two seasons with the Celtics. During this era, the 7-foot-1 Wilt Chamberlain became Russell's chief rival. On March 2, 1962, Wilt the Stilt scored 100 points in a game for the Philadelphia Warriors, a record that remains unbeaten.

In response to Chamberlain's physical prowess near the basket, the NBA expanded the lane from 12 to 16 feet wide. The league also had to ban dunking on free throws, as Chamberlain preferred to get a running start, lift off from the foul shot line, and slam the ball home.

The ABA Merger and the Three-Point Shot

Still, to attract fans, the NBA needed more excitement. And so, in 1976, it merged with the American Basketball Association, or ABA, a league where players performed stylish dunks with a flashy red, white, and blue basketball. In 1979, the NBA adopted a signature trait of the ABA: the three point shot. ABA Commissioner George Mikan said of the three pointer, "We called it the home run. It brought fans out of their seats."

The Magic vs Bird Era

In 1960, the Minneapolis Lakers had moved to Los Angeles. Two decades later, the L.A. Lakers and the Boston Celtics waged a fierce rivalry spearheaded by superstars Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The 80s competition between these two franchises, which included five Lakers titles and three for the Celtics, rejuvenated the NBA and facilitated the popularity it enjoys today.

March Madness and College Basketball

Meanwhile, college basketball thrived, with coaches like John Wooden and Mike Krzyzewski setting records for most championships and games won. Yearly, fans of the NCAA's March Madness fill out brackets with predictions for basketball's biggest tournament.

Women's Basketball: From Six-on-Six to Caitlin Clark

Women's basketball has bred its own traditions. For decades, girls played six-on-six basketball. Teams split into two squads of three: one group playing offense, the other defense. Over time, their game mirrored men's basketball. Players like Caitlin Clark, with her fast paced game, deep three point shots, and precision passing, have not only changed the game but increased the popularity of women's basketball.

America's Gift to the World

Over a century ago, James Naismith gave basketball to America, in a YMCA. Athletes of all ages still play basketball at YMCAs throughout the world. With hoopsters in more than 200 countries, basketball, more than any other American sport, has become a gift to the world.