American James Naismith at school age, like other children, loved the game "Duck on a Stone". The schoolchildren threw a small stone to hit the top of the huge stone. Then James had an idea, which he realized many years later.
The teacher's ingenuity
In 1891, James worked as a teacher at a Christian college. Young people were bored with gymnastics in physical education lessons, and the teacher suggested a game. He divided the students into teams of nine. Peach baskets were tied to the balcony of the gym, and it was necessary to throw the ball into the opponents' basket.
Jumping is fun, which is why team play has become popular. It only resembled basketball: the players did not dribble the ball, but threw it to each other, standing still. After a successful throw, one of the students climbed the stairs and pulled the ball out of the basket. A year later, another college developed rules for women's basketball for the first time.
The game quickly spread to the United States and Canada. Just 7 years after the invention of basketball, there was an attempt to create a professional league. The game was popularized by the creator himself, although the Christian college, where it all began, distanced itself from the new sport.
Professionals unite
Professional teams appeared at the beginning of the 20th century, although everything happened spontaneously. Nobody organized several hundred teams throughout America. The matches were played in unsuitable premises, and the players freely moved to other teams.
The National Basketball Association NBA was formed only in 1949. Basketball has become a prestigious sport in educational institutions. The first professional match took place in 1959, and the result was the creation of the Hall of Fame for the people who contributed to the game.
Other sports associations competed with the NBA over the years, but in the end they merged. Now the National Basketball Association is one of the most famous in the world. Famous athletes Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neill, Larry Bird and others played in it.
International sport
The first international federation of amateur teams, FIBA, was founded in Switzerland in 1932. It includes representatives from seven European countries and Argentina. In 1989, the word "amateur" was removed from the name because professional athletes participated in international tournaments. At the same time, the abbreviation federation was left unchanged.
Since 1936, basketball has been featured in the Olympic Games program. The first Olympic champion was the US national team, and until 1972 no one was able to deprive her of the title. Finally, the basketball players of the USSR national team did it. Women's basketball became an Olympic sport in 1976. So, year after year, basketball turned into a global sport. As a result, representatives of all continents play in the NBA.
