History of basketball
Encyclopedia
The history of basketball starts with James Naismith
.
invented basketball
in 1891. Massachusetts
had cold winters, and people wanted a game that could be played inside. Buck was a Canadian teacher, born in Almonte, Ontario
on the 16th of November, 1861. Naismith was orphaned early in his life, and his uncle led him to study Hebraism
and philosophy, and to train to become a priest. He graduated from McGill University
, Montreal, in 1887 (it was the first graduation of eleven), but at the college he discovered sports: he played in the rugby team for eight years, even when he studied at the Presbyterian College
in Montreal
. But he dropped out in 1890, to become a physical educator at the International Young Men’s Christian Association Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts
.
There, physical educators Luther Gulick
and Frank Peters
asked her to invent a new indoor game, which could be played during the cold winter. She also made it for a physical education class to play. She started work on it in December 1891. She wrote that she took some ideas from other sports: when she was young, she played with her friends a game called "Duck on a Rock
." In this game, one person guarded his “duck” from the stones of the others; and the fun began as they gathered their stray shots. It was this game that was later to play such an important part in the origin of basketball. The first game was played on December 29, 1891.
1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands (never with the fist).
3. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed if he tries to stop.
4. The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or body must not be used for holding it.
5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed; the first infringement of this rule by any player shall count as a foul, the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game, no substitute allowed.
6. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of Rules 3, 4, and such as described in Rule 5.
7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls, it shall count a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the mean time making a foul).
8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal.
9. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field of play by the person first touching it. In case of a dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds; if he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on that side.
10. The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.
11. The referee shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made, and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
12. The time shall be two 15-minute halves, with five minutes' rest between.
13. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner. In case of a draw, the game may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made.
Glenn, Dickey. The history of professional basketball since 1896. New York: Stein and Day, 1982.
that had a major role in spreading basketball throughout the United States and Canada, and then throughout the world. In 1893, Mel Rideout arranged the first European match in Paris, in Montmartre
. At the same time, Bob Gailey went to Tientsin, China (1894), Duncan Patton to India, Genzabaro Ishikawa to Japan, and C. Hareek to Persia.
The First World War broke out in 1914, and the U.S. Army started fighting in Europe in 1917. During World War I
, American Expeditionary Force brought basketball wherever they went. Together with the troops, there were hundreds of physical education teachers, who knew basketball quite well, and even James Naismith spent two years with YMCA in France, in that period. Not only did they bring basketball with them, but even the “modern” basketball, that is the game as it was played in the United States at that time.
The Original Celtics
, for instance, are considered the "fathers of modern basketball", and were presented as "World’s Basketball Champions"; the players had to sign a contract to play with them and the manager, Jim Furey, organised matches as a circus
, moving daily from town to town. The Celtics became the strongest team, and their successes lasted from 1922 until 1928, when the team disbanded due to ownership problems. The Original Celtics are sometimes incorrectly thought of as forebears of the current Boston Celtics
of the NBA
; in reality, they share only a name, as today's Celtics were not founded until 1946, nearly two decades after the demise of the Original Celtics. In 1922, the first all-African American professional team was founded: the Rens
(also known as New York Renaissance or Harlem Renaissance). The Rens were the Original Celtics’ usual opponent, and for their matches a ticket cost $1. They took part in some official championships and won the first World Professional Basketball Tournament
in 1939. The team disbanded in 1949.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Eastern Basket Ball League (founded in 1909), Metropolitan Basketball League (founded in 1921) and American Basketball League (founded in 1925) were the most important leagues.
and the New Brighton YMCA on April 8, 1893, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, which Geneva College won 3–0. Geneva College calls itself "The Birthplace of College Basketball". In February 1895, Minnesota State School of Agriculture
and Hamline University
played the first intercollegiate match (won 9–3 by Minnesota). In that period, the Amateur Athletic Union
took over the organization of collegiate activity. In 1905, Yale University
was disqualified, and some universities created the Intercollegiate Athletic Association, which became National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) in 1910. For thirty years, there were many conferences: they were small state championships. The NCAA created a United States championship in 1939, adding the playoffs at the end of each conference.
(BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association
(NBA) in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League
(NBL). The NBA is the most important professional basketball league in the United States of America, in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition.
.
In 1907, the amateur, all-black Olympian Athletic League was formed in New York City consisting of the Smart Set Athletic Club, St. Christopher Club, Marathon Athletic Club, Alpha Physical Culture Club, and the Jersey City Colored YMCA. The first inter-city basketball game between two black teams was played in 1907 when the Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn traveled to Washington, DC to play the Crescent Athletic Club.
In 1908 Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn, a member of the Olympian Athletic League, was named the first Colored Basketball World's Champion.
In 1910, Howard University
’s first varsity basketball team began.
In 1922, the Commonwealth Five, the first all-black professional
team was founded. The New York Renaissance
was founded in 1923.
In 1939, the all-black New York Renaissance beat the all-white Oshkosh All-Stars in the World Pro Basketball Tournament.
The all-white National Basketball League began to racially integrate
in 1942 with 10 black players joining two teams, the Toledo Jim White Chevrolets and the Chicago Studebakers. The NBA integrated in the 1950–51 season, with three black players each achieving a separate milestone in that process. In the draft held immediately prior to that season, Chuck Cooper became the first black player drafted by an NBA team. Shortly after the draft, Nat Clifton became the first black to sign an NBA contract. Finally, Earl Lloyd became the first black to appear in an NBA game, as his team started its season before either Cooper's or Clifton's.
: Mayak Saint Petersburg beat a YMCA American team. The first great European event was held in Joinville-le-Pont
, near Germany, during the Inter-Allied Games
. United States, led by future Hall of Fame player Max Friedman
, won against Italy and France, and then Italy beat France. Basketball soon became popular among French and Italians. The Italian team had a white shirt with the House of Savoy
shield and the players were: Arrigo and Marco Muggiani, Baccarini, Giuseppe Sessa, Palestra
, Pecollo and Bagnoli.
(Fédération internationale de basket-ball amateur, FIBA) in Geneva. Its work was fundamental for the first inclusion of basketball in the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936. The first Olympic title was won by the U.S. national team: Sam Balter
, Ralph Bishop
, Joe Fortenberry
, Tex Gibbons
, Francis Johnson
, Carl Knowles
, Frank Lubin
, Art Mollner
, Donald Piper
, Jack Ragland
, Willard Schmidt
, Carl Shy
, Duane Swanson
, Bill Wheatley
and the trainer James Needles. Canada was runner-up; the games were played on an outdoor clay court. The first World Championship was held in Argentina in 1950.
James Naismith
The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...
.
Invention of the game
James NaismithJames Naismith
The first game of "Basket Ball" was played in December 1891. In a handwritten report, Naismith described the circumstances of the inaugural match; in contrast to modern basketball, the players played nine versus nine, handled a soccer ball, not a basketball, and instead of shooting at two hoops,...
invented basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
in 1891. Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
had cold winters, and people wanted a game that could be played inside. Buck was a Canadian teacher, born in Almonte, Ontario
Almonte, Ontario
Almonte is a Canadian exurb and former mill town located in Lanark County, in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario, Canada. Formerly a separate municipality, Almonte is now a ward of the town of Mississippi Mills, which was created on January 1, 1998 by the merging of Almonte with Ramsay and...
on the 16th of November, 1861. Naismith was orphaned early in his life, and his uncle led him to study Hebraism
Hebraism
Hebraism is the identification of a usage, trait, or characteristic of the Hebrew language. By successive extension it is sometimes applied to the Jewish people, their faith, national ideology, or culture.- Idiomatic Hebrew :...
and philosophy, and to train to become a priest. He graduated from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, Montreal, in 1887 (it was the first graduation of eleven), but at the college he discovered sports: he played in the rugby team for eight years, even when he studied at the Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College
Presbyterian College is a private liberal arts college in Clinton, South Carolina, USA. Presbyterian College, or PC, is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA. PC was founded in 1880 by William Plumer Jacobs, a prominent Presbyterian minister who also founded the nearby Thornwell Home and...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. But he dropped out in 1890, to become a physical educator at the International Young Men’s Christian Association Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
.
There, physical educators Luther Gulick
Luther Gulick (physician)
Luther Halsey Gulick, Jr. MD was an American physical education instructor, international basketball official, and founder with his wife of the Camp Fire Girls, an international youth organization now known as Camp Fire USA.-Life:...
and Frank Peters
Frank Peters
Frank Cornelius Peters was the second president of Wilfrid Laurier University. He held the position from 1967 to 1978.-External links:* at The Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online...
asked her to invent a new indoor game, which could be played during the cold winter. She also made it for a physical education class to play. She started work on it in December 1891. She wrote that she took some ideas from other sports: when she was young, she played with her friends a game called "Duck on a Rock
Duck on a Rock
-Game play:Duck on a Rock is a game that combined tag and marksmanship. It is played by placing a somewhat large stone upon a larger stone or a tree stump. One player stays near the stone to guard it. The other players throw stones at the duck in an attempt to knock it off of the platform. Once it...
." In this game, one person guarded his “duck” from the stones of the others; and the fun began as they gathered their stray shots. It was this game that was later to play such an important part in the origin of basketball. The first game was played on December 29, 1891.
The First 13 Rules of Basketball
Naismith wrote the first 13 rules of the game.1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
2. The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands (never with the fist).
3. A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man who catches the ball when running at a good speed if he tries to stop.
4. The ball must be held in or between the hands; the arms or body must not be used for holding it.
5. No shouldering, holding, pushing, tripping, or striking in any way the person of an opponent shall be allowed; the first infringement of this rule by any player shall count as a foul, the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made, or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game, no substitute allowed.
6. A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violation of Rules 3, 4, and such as described in Rule 5.
7. If either side makes three consecutive fouls, it shall count a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the mean time making a foul).
8. A goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the grounds into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edges, and the opponent moves the basket, it shall count as a goal.
9. When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field of play by the person first touching it. In case of a dispute, the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds; if he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on that side.
10. The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.
11. The referee shall be judge of the ball and shall decide when the ball is in play, in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made, and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.
12. The time shall be two 15-minute halves, with five minutes' rest between.
13. The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winner. In case of a draw, the game may, by agreement of the captains, be continued until another goal is made.
The first basketball game
On December 29, 1891, James Naismith defined a new game using five base ideas and thirteen rules. That day, he asked his class to play a match in the Armory Street court: 9 versus 9, using a soccer ball and two peach baskets. Frank Mahan, one of his students, wasn’t so happy. He just said: "Huh. Another new game". However, Naismith was the inventor of the new game. Someone proposed to call it “Naismith Game”, but he suggested "We have a ball and a basket: why don’t we call it basket ball"? The eighteen players were: John J. Thompson, Eugene S. Libby, Edwin P. Ruggles, William R. Chase, T. Duncan Patton, Frank Mahan, Finlay G. MacDonald, William H. Davis and Lyman Archibald, who defeated George Weller, Wilbert Carey, Ernest Hildner, Raymond Kaighn, Genzabaro Ishikawa, Benjamin S. French, Franklin Barnes, George Day and Henry Gelan 1–0. The goal was scored by Chase. There were other differences between Naismith’s first idea and the game played today. The peach baskets were closed, and balls had to be retrieved manually by cutting a small hole in the bottom of the peach basket and poking the ball out using a stick. Only in 1906 were metal hoops, nets and boards introduced. Moreover, earlier the soccer ball was replaced by a Spalding ball, similar to the one used today.Glenn, Dickey. The history of professional basketball since 1896. New York: Stein and Day, 1982.
YMCA, U.S. Army spread development
It was the YMCAYMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
that had a major role in spreading basketball throughout the United States and Canada, and then throughout the world. In 1893, Mel Rideout arranged the first European match in Paris, in Montmartre
Montmartre
Montmartre is a hill which is 130 metres high, giving its name to the surrounding district, in the north of Paris in the 18th arrondissement, a part of the Right Bank. Montmartre is primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on its summit and as a nightclub district...
. At the same time, Bob Gailey went to Tientsin, China (1894), Duncan Patton to India, Genzabaro Ishikawa to Japan, and C. Hareek to Persia.
The First World War broke out in 1914, and the U.S. Army started fighting in Europe in 1917. During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, American Expeditionary Force brought basketball wherever they went. Together with the troops, there were hundreds of physical education teachers, who knew basketball quite well, and even James Naismith spent two years with YMCA in France, in that period. Not only did they bring basketball with them, but even the “modern” basketball, that is the game as it was played in the United States at that time.
Professional leagues, teams and organizations
The first professional league was founded in 1898. Six teams take part in the National Basketball League, and the first champions were the Trenton Nationals, followed by the New York Wanderers, the Bristol Pile Drivers and the Camden Electrics. The league was abandoned in 1904. Then, many small championships were organized, but most of them were not as important as some teams who played for money against challengers.The Original Celtics
Original Celtics
The Original Celtics were a barnstorming professional basketball team in the 1920s. There is no relation to the modern Boston Celtics. The Original Celtics are often credited with extending the reach of basketball across America and for establishing the importance of aggressive defensive play...
, for instance, are considered the "fathers of modern basketball", and were presented as "World’s Basketball Champions"; the players had to sign a contract to play with them and the manager, Jim Furey, organised matches as a circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
, moving daily from town to town. The Celtics became the strongest team, and their successes lasted from 1922 until 1928, when the team disbanded due to ownership problems. The Original Celtics are sometimes incorrectly thought of as forebears of the current Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
; in reality, they share only a name, as today's Celtics were not founded until 1946, nearly two decades after the demise of the Original Celtics. In 1922, the first all-African American professional team was founded: the Rens
New York Renaissance
The New York Renaissance, also known as the Renaissance Big Five and as the Rens, was an all-black professional basketball team established February 13, 1923, by Robert "Bob" Douglas in agreement with the Renaissance Casino and Ballroom...
(also known as New York Renaissance or Harlem Renaissance). The Rens were the Original Celtics’ usual opponent, and for their matches a ticket cost $1. They took part in some official championships and won the first World Professional Basketball Tournament
World Professional Basketball Tournament
World Professional Basketball Tournament was an invitational tournament for professional basketball teams in the United States held in Chicago, Illinois by the Chicago Herald American. The annual event was held from 1939 to 1948...
in 1939. The team disbanded in 1949.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Eastern Basket Ball League (founded in 1909), Metropolitan Basketball League (founded in 1921) and American Basketball League (founded in 1925) were the most important leagues.
American colleges lead the way
The greatest level of early activity was seen in American colleges. The first recorded instance of an organized college basketball game was played between Geneva CollegeGeneva College
Geneva College is a Christian liberal arts college in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, United States, north of Pittsburgh. Founded in 1848, in Northwood, Ohio, the college moved to its present location in 1880, where it continues to educate a student body of about 1400 traditional undergraduates in...
and the New Brighton YMCA on April 8, 1893, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, which Geneva College won 3–0. Geneva College calls itself "The Birthplace of College Basketball". In February 1895, Minnesota State School of Agriculture
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and Hamline University
Hamline University
-Red Wing location :Hamline was named in honor of Leonidas Lent Hamline, a bishop of the Methodist Church whose interest in the frontier led him to donate $25,000 toward the building of an institution of higher learning in what was then the territory of Minnesota. Today, a statue of Bishop Hamline...
played the first intercollegiate match (won 9–3 by Minnesota). In that period, the Amateur Athletic Union
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
took over the organization of collegiate activity. In 1905, Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
was disqualified, and some universities created the Intercollegiate Athletic Association, which became National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) in 1910. For thirty years, there were many conferences: they were small state championships. The NCAA created a United States championship in 1939, adding the playoffs at the end of each conference.
NBA founded
The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946 as the Basketball Association of AmericaBasketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ...
(BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) in 1949 after merging with the rival National Basketball League
National Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
(NBL). The NBA is the most important professional basketball league in the United States of America, in terms of popularity, salaries, talent, and level of competition.
African-Americans in Basketball
The Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn and the St. Christopher Club of New York City established the first fully organized independent all-black basketball teams in 1906. These teams were amateurAmateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
.
In 1907, the amateur, all-black Olympian Athletic League was formed in New York City consisting of the Smart Set Athletic Club, St. Christopher Club, Marathon Athletic Club, Alpha Physical Culture Club, and the Jersey City Colored YMCA. The first inter-city basketball game between two black teams was played in 1907 when the Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn traveled to Washington, DC to play the Crescent Athletic Club.
In 1908 Smart Set Athletic Club of Brooklyn, a member of the Olympian Athletic League, was named the first Colored Basketball World's Champion.
In 1910, Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
’s first varsity basketball team began.
In 1922, the Commonwealth Five, the first all-black professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
team was founded. The New York Renaissance
New York Renaissance
The New York Renaissance, also known as the Renaissance Big Five and as the Rens, was an all-black professional basketball team established February 13, 1923, by Robert "Bob" Douglas in agreement with the Renaissance Casino and Ballroom...
was founded in 1923.
In 1939, the all-black New York Renaissance beat the all-white Oshkosh All-Stars in the World Pro Basketball Tournament.
The all-white National Basketball League began to racially integrate
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
in 1942 with 10 black players joining two teams, the Toledo Jim White Chevrolets and the Chicago Studebakers. The NBA integrated in the 1950–51 season, with three black players each achieving a separate milestone in that process. In the draft held immediately prior to that season, Chuck Cooper became the first black player drafted by an NBA team. Shortly after the draft, Nat Clifton became the first black to sign an NBA contract. Finally, Earl Lloyd became the first black to appear in an NBA game, as his team started its season before either Cooper's or Clifton's.
First international games
After its arrival in Europe, basketball developed very quickly. In 1909 there was the first international match in Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
: Mayak Saint Petersburg beat a YMCA American team. The first great European event was held in Joinville-le-Pont
Joinville-le-Pont
Joinville-le-Pont is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-History:The commune was created in 1791 under the name La Branche-du-Pont-de-Saint-Maur by detaching its territory from the commune of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés...
, near Germany, during the Inter-Allied Games
Inter-Allied Games
The Inter-Allied Games was a one-off multi-sport event held from June 22nd - July 6th 1919 at the newly constructed Pershing Stadium just outside Paris, France following the end of the First World War. The forum for the games, Pershing Stadium, had been built near the Bois de Vincennes by the U.S....
. United States, led by future Hall of Fame player Max Friedman
Marty Friedman (basketball)
Max "Marty" Friedman was an American pro basketball player and coach.-Career:He played almost 20 years of pro basketball , while being mostly known for playing with the New York Whirlwinds....
, won against Italy and France, and then Italy beat France. Basketball soon became popular among French and Italians. The Italian team had a white shirt with the House of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
shield and the players were: Arrigo and Marco Muggiani, Baccarini, Giuseppe Sessa, Palestra
Palestra
The Palestra, also known as the Cathedral of College Basketball, is a historic arena and the home gym of the University of Pennsylvania Quakers men's and women's basketball teams, volleyball teams, wrestling team, and Philadelphia Big 5 basketball. Located at 215 South 33rd St...
, Pecollo and Bagnoli.
Formation of FIBA
World basketball was growing, but it was on June 18, 1932 that a real international organization was formed, to coordinate tournaments and teams: that day, Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania and Switzerland founded the International Basketball FederationInternational Basketball Federation
The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA , from its French name Fédération Internationale de Basketball, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball...
(Fédération internationale de basket-ball amateur, FIBA) in Geneva. Its work was fundamental for the first inclusion of basketball in the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936. The first Olympic title was won by the U.S. national team: Sam Balter
Sam Balter
Samuel "Sam" Balter, Jr. was an American basketball player.-Career:He competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics...
, Ralph Bishop
Ralph Bishop
Ralph English Bishop was an American basketball player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.He was part of the American basketball team that won the gold medal...
, Joe Fortenberry
Joe Fortenberry
Joseph Cephis Fortenberry was an American basketball player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.He was part of the American basketball team, which won the gold medal...
, Tex Gibbons
Tex Gibbons
John Haskell "Tex" Gibbons was an American basketball player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.He was the captain of the 1936 Olympics American basketball team, which won the gold medal. He played one match....
, Francis Johnson
Francis Johnson (basketball)
Francis Lee Johnson was an American basketball player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.He was part of the American basketball team, which won the gold medal...
, Carl Knowles
Carl Knowles
Carl Stanley Knowles was an American basketball player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics....
, Frank Lubin
Frank Lubin
Frank John Lubin was an American-Lithuanian basketball player.Lubin was born on the east side of Los Angeles, California to a family of Lithuanian immigrants and died in Glendale, California....
, Art Mollner
Art Mollner
Arthur "Art" Owen Mollner was an American basketball player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics....
, Donald Piper
Donald Piper
Donald Arthur Piper was an American basketball player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.He was part of the American basketball team, which won the gold medal. He played two matches....
, Jack Ragland
Jack Ragland
Jack Williamson Ragland was an American basketball player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.He was part of the American basketball team, which won the gold medal. He played two matches including the final....
, Willard Schmidt
Willard Schmidt
Willard Raymond Schmidt was an American professional baseball player, a pitcher who played in Major League Baseball between 1952 and 1959. Listed at , , Schmidt batted and threw right-handed. He was born in Hays, Kansas....
, Carl Shy
Carl Shy
Carl L. Shy was an American basketball player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.He was part of the American basketball team, which won the gold medal. He played three matches including the final....
, Duane Swanson
Duane Swanson
Duane Alexander Swanson was an American basketball player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics.He was part of the American basketball team, which won the gold medal. He played three matches...
, Bill Wheatley
Bill Wheatley
William "Bill" John Wheatley was an American basketball player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics....
and the trainer James Needles. Canada was runner-up; the games were played on an outdoor clay court. The first World Championship was held in Argentina in 1950.