Basketball
The game of basketball has evolved a great deal throughout the years. Basketball was invented on December 21,1891. The inventor of the game was a Canadian clergyman, James Naismith.The game of basketball was created from fragments of other games, seeking to eliminate flaws of rugby, soccer. Basketball was first played in the United States. In fact, the first game was played at one training school, now called Springfield College.
The equipment used in basketball is very simple. In addition to the field itself, all that is needed for a game is a ball. The very first ball that was used was a soccer ball until 1894 when an actual «basketball» was invented. The basketball ball was slightly smaller, about 30 inches in diameter. The first baskets that were used, were two peach baskets hung from the balcony of the gymnasium.
By 1906, the peach baskets were replaced by metal baskets with holes in the bottom. This was better than in the early days, when a ladder was used to climb and fetch the ball out of the basket. Finally, in 1913 a hoop with a net was invented. It was a major step in the developing of the game of basketball. Due to the free falling ball, the game's tempo increased, which allowed the game of basketball to develop even more.
By 1898, basketball leagues were starting to form in the United States. In 1898, professional basketball was being played. The league was called the National Basketball League (NBL) and was made of 4 teams. Later, the name was changed to the National Basketball Association (NBA). During the 1950's the National Basketball Association was on the rise. During the 1970's and 198G's the expansion of the NBA had gone wild. In the mid 1980's and early 1990's Michael Jordan, who was one of the greatest players in NBA history, dominated the game and took it to a wholly new level.
At that time, basketball was increasing in popularity. Nowadays it is played by 176 nations.