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Basketball: How it all got started

It would seem that Basketball has been with us forever. Yet it was only in 1881 that Dr. James Naismith created the game that now is one of the most popular games in the United States. What you may not also realise is that Naismith was actually born in Canada, and some wonder if the sport would be so popular in the US had he not been living in Massachusetts at the time he invented it.

Prior to shifting to Massachusetts Dr Naismith worked as the athletics director at the University of McGill in Montreal for several years. In Massachusetts he worked with the YMCA Training School. Here Dr Naismith was looking for a game that the students would be able to play indoors. For during the winter months it was difficult to play outdoors. The first game of basketball was played with a soccer ball and two peach baskets. They used a broom stick to push the ball back out of the basket. It was later that holes were cut in the bottom of the basket to look like the hoop and net that we see today.

The YMCA promoted basketball worldwide and many people in a variety of countries play it as a hobby or a profession today. No other country has embraced it as widely as North America.

The game continued to grow until in 1936 basketball was one of the sports showcased at the Olympics in Berlin. The National Basketball League today is one of the most popular sports events on television. Before the NBA came the Basketball Association of America. Since then, NBA players boast some of the highest salaries in the professional sports.

On November 7, 1896 the first professional game was played between the Trenton Basketball team and the Brooklyn YMCA. It was the first time that players were paid. In time the sport left the YMCA to enter the National Basketball League.

Since then players such as Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Shaquille O'Neal have made headlines not only in basketball, but in movies, tabloids, and even music. Basketball players also offer great role models for many inner city kids, where basketball is a popular and encouraged past time.

The NBA matches are very popular and are the most watched matches both live and on television. Everybody likes watching and cheering for their favorite basketball teams and star players. Players like Micael Jordan, Magic Johnson enjoyed tremendous popularity and brought a surge of demand for NBA merchandise. Everyone wanted merchandise like jerseys, shirts, hats, shorts with their stars logo on it.

Today the NBA is a multi-million dollar association that makes money off of ticket sales, televised games, and merchandise. Many children are kept out of trouble by playing basketball not only in school teams, but with their friends as well. Basketball seems to keep growing in popularity, and the trend doesn't show any signs of slowing down. James Naismith probably had no idea the mega-success his simple game with a ball and two peach baskets would become.

Article Source: http://www.articlecamp.com

About the author: Carlos Lintons writes exclusively for FSU Basketball, visit there today for the latest Basketball advice, and while you're there sign up for the free newsletter. Read many more interesting articles on Basketball at: www.fsubasketball.com/articles
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