History of 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 (Joseph Morse, 1973).
The game of basketball was fashioned from fragments of other games, seeking to eliminate flaws of indoor rugby, soccer and lacrosse. Naismith also borrowed aspects from the children’s game "Duck-on-a-Rock," in which children tried to knock off a rock from a boulder by tossing smaller rocks from about 20 feet away (Lauren S. Bahr, 1995).
There has been no question that basketball was first played in the United States. In fact, the first game was played at the International Young Men’s Christian Association Training School, now called Springfield College. (Joseph Morse, 1973) Naismith invented basketball as an alternative to the calisthenics and marching his students practiced to keep fit in the winters (Lauren S. Bahr, 1995).
Basketball was a simple game, which consists of a ball and a basket. The very first ball that was used was a soccer ball until 1894 when an actual "basketball" was invented. The basketball was slightly smaller, about 30 inches in diameter (William D. Halsey, 1975). While, the first baskets that were used were two peach baskets that were hung from the balcony of the gymnasium (Frank G. Menke, 1970). By 1906, the peach baskets were replaced by metal baskets with holes in the bottom. These holes were placed in the basket so a long pole could be used to poke the basketball out of the basket. This was better then 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 so the basketball could fall freely to the ground (Lauren S. Bahr, 1995). In my opinion, the invention of the hoop and net was a major step in 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.
In 1893, due to the overzealous spectators interfering with the basketball, the backboard was invented. The first backboard was constructed out of wire mesh, then wood and now it is made out of glass so the backboard does not interfere with the viewing of the game (Lauren S. Bahr, 1995).
Around this time, there was no name for this game. Students wanted to call the game "Naismith Ball," but in did not take. In 1921, a man called Mahn named the game "basketball," and it has been called basketball ever since (Frank G. Menke, 1970).
As the game of basketball was developing, Naismith introduced the 13 original rules for the game of basketball in which 12 out of the 13 original rules were still used up to 1934 (William D. Halsey). The only rule, which changed, was that a player was now allowed to dribble a basketball (Lauren S. Bahr, 1995). The rule of dribbling the basketball was first used in 1896 at a basketball game at Yale University. But at that time, the dribbler could not shoot a field goal (Joseph Morse, 1973). This rule change had many advantages because it allowed for more movement, which caused greater excitement in the game of basketball. But along with many advantages there were also disadvantages as well. The main problem from the rule was that teams would dribble the ball for periods of time while they were leading the game. This was called "stalling," which accounted for many of the low scoring games in the early days of basketball (Frank G. Menke, 1970).
With the introduction of the 13 original rules, Naismith created four fundamental principals which stayed in the game from 1891to 1937. These four fundamental principals stated, players with the ball must not make progress, the goal is above the head of the players, roughness is eliminated and a player may not receive the ball by use of contact (Joseph Morse, 1973).
Through the years of 1891 to the 1940’s there were many rule changes as well as addition of rules to the game of basketball. In 1895, the free throw was introduced after a person was fouled. The problem with this rule at first was that a team had a "special shooter" to take the foul shots. It was not until 1923 that a player that had been fouled had to shoot the foul shots (Joseph Morse, 1973). In 1897, the number of players allowed on the court was reduced to five on each team. A team consisted of a center, two forwards and two guards. At the beginning, there were allowing six, seven and even eight player on each team (William D. Halsey, 1975). In 1908, the addition of the five foul rule was introduced into the game. It stated that a player who had exceeded the limit was not permitted to continue play of the game. One of the most important rules, which helped speed up the game, came in 1937. It was the elimination of the jump ball after any foul or stoppage in play. Since the standardization of rules in 1934, I believe that the game of basketball had changed for the best because it allowed for more speed and intensity.
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). The National Basketball League was made up of four teams like New York, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and New Jersey (Lauren S. Bahr, 1995). The National Basketball League did not take hold until after World War II. Also, in 1898, the New England League was formed and they paid star players $150 to $200 a month. The New England League had a brief career and did not survive.
In 1925, the American Basketball League (ABL) which was the first real attempts to widen basketball to a worldwide sport (Lauren S. Bahr). The American Basketball League seasons were six months long and star players were paid $1500. The American Basketball was made up of a nine-team circuit.
By 1932 basketball was officially gaining international status with the founding of the International Amateur Basketball Federation in Geneva, Switzerland (Lauren S. Bahr, 1995).
At this time in 1927 basketball was drawing extraordinary popularity not only with the fans but also with its 20,000,000 players worldwide (Frank G. Menke, 1970).
The reason for this popularity at this time was because of the formation of the Harlem Globetrotters in 1927. The man that had created the team was Abe Saperstein. They were an all Negro team, which toured the world to promote basketball. There was no city too big or too small for the Globetrotters to play at. Throughout the years they attracted crowds of great capacity and shattered all time American attendance marks. In 1952, the attracted 35,548 and in 1953 they attracted 36,256 (Joseph Morse, 1973). I think the Harlem Globetrotters have changed the game of basketball because they realized that for basketball to grow you must entertain the fans. As everyone knows the Harlem Globetrotters are amazing athletes and they entertain people by their astonishing tricks and all around talent.
At this point basketball reached its present eminence in the United States through efforts of "Ned Irish," a top executive of Madison Square Gardens. In 1934, he persuaded the president of Madison Square Gardens to hold a double header game between Notre Dame and New York University. This was a success because it drew crowds of maximum capacity. But a little time after, between 1935 to 1936 the game of basketball was dimmed due to bribes within the game. College players were accepting bribes from gamblers to win games by less then the quoted point (William D. Halsey, 1975).
In 1946, the Basketball Association of America was formed but it did not far well because it was competing against the National Basketball League. But in 1949, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League joined together.
They changed their name to the National Basketball Association (NBA). The first season of the National Basketball Association was in 1949 and it consisted of a 17-city circuit, which was divided up into three divisions. The schedule called for 550 games (Joseph Morse, 1973). By the second season the league was cut to 10 teams and two divisions.
The first team to win the National Basketball Association championship was Philadelphia. The first president of the league was Maurice Podolalf (Lauren S. Bahr, 1995).
I like sport. It plays a great role in my activities. Most of all I like to play basketball. I am the best player and often take part in different sport competitions. Sometimes we win them but sometimes we lose. Basketball is a team game. It is played in any season because you play this game is indoors game. It is played in a gym. But sometimes you can see streetball - basketball in an open air. There are two baskets in this exciting game and only one orange ball. Players must throw the ball to the basket and get to it to score a goal. There are two teams with only five players. Many people keen in sport because it makes us more healthy and help us to be fit. During you play any sport game you are active and it helps you to burn many calories. Basketball is an active game. It makes people be strong, healthy and energetic. It is a game for everybody even for disabled people. To my mind any sport is risky and dangerous. Basketball is risky too because every minute you can break your arm or leg or get another problem with your health. I like playing basketball most of all. And I am a basketball fan too. I enjoy watching matches on TV and at the gym. I have been to the gym. It was the greatest game I have ever seen.
Я люблю спорт. Он играет большую роль в моей деятельности. Больше всего я люблю играть в баскетбол. Я очень хороший игрок и часто принимаю участие в различных спортивных соревнованиях. Иногда мы выигрываем, но иногда проигрываем. Баскетбол это командная игра. В нее играют в любое время года, потому что играют в эту игру в закрытом помещении. В нее играют в спортивном зале. Но иногда вы можете видеть стритбол - баскетбол на открытом воздухе. Есть две корзины в этой захватывающей игре и только один оранжевый мяч. Игроки должны бросать мяч в корзину и попасть в нее, чтобы забить гол. В игре две команды всего с пятью игроками.
Многие люди занимаются спортом, потому что он делает нас здоровыми и помогает быть в хорошей форме. В то время, когда вы играете в любые спортивные игры вы активны, и это помогает вам сжигать больше калорий. Баскетбол - активная игра. Она заставляет людей быть сильными, здоровыми и энергичными. Это игра для всех, даже для людей с ограниченными возможностями.
На мой взгляд, любой вид спорта рискованный и опасный. Баскетбол тоже, потому что каждую минуту вы можете сломать руку или ногу или получить другую проблему с вашим здоровьем.
Мне нравится играть в баскетбол больше всего. И я также фанат баскетбола. Мне очень нравится смотреть матчи по телевизору и в спортзале. Я был на матче в спотрзале два раза. Это было здорово.
ГАПОУ СПО Тольяттинский социально-педагогический колледж
Разработка учебного занятия по английскому языку с использованием технологии РКМЧП на тему: «The history of basketball (История баскетбола)»
Преподаватель: Корякова Елена Валерьевна
2013
Технологическая карта урока
Преподаватель: Корякова Елена Валерьевна
Предмет: Иностранный язык (английский)
Специальность: «Физическая культура»
Группа : ФК -31
Тема урока : The history of basketball ( История баскетбола )
Тип урока: комбинированный урок
Длительность: 45 минут
Дидактические задачи (цель учебного занятия): 1.совершенствование лексических навыков студентов;
2. развитие устной и письменной англоязычной речи.
Развивающие задачи: развитие критического мышления, посредством чтения информационного текста.
Воспитательные задачи: 1. формирование устойчивой мотивации к изучению английского языка;
2. закрепление интереса к получаемой профессии ;
3.формирование уважительного отношения к мнению другого человека, потребности в высказывании своего собственного мнения .
Оборудование: доска, карточки с ключевыми словами, бланки с таблицей ЗХУ, схема синквейна.
Ход учебного занятия
Этапы учебного занятия
Содержание учебного материала
Методы обучения
Средства обучения
Ориентировочная дозировка времени
Организационный
Преподаватель и учащиеся приветствуют друга. Преподаватель озвучивает тему и цель занятия.
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2-3 мин
1 стадия: Вызов
Перед началом работы учащимся раздаются карточки с ключевыми словами, на основе которых, им в парах предлагается сочинить рассказ на английском языке по теме «История баскетбола».
После чего каждая из пар озвучивает свой рассказ. Преподаватель принимает любые версии, ничего не отрицая.
Учащимся раздаются бланки с таблицей ЗХУ, в которой они заполняют колонку «Знаю» на основе составленных ими рассказов. Учащиеся делятся друг с другом информацией, систематизируя и заполняя графу «Категории информации».
Сделанные записи обсуждаются.
Знаю
Хочу узнать
Узнал
Источники информации
Составление рассказа по ключевым словам
Парная мозговая атака
Работа всей группы Таблица ЗХУ
Карточки со словами:
United States
Canadian clergyman
30 inches in diameter
Soccer
In 1921
10 мин
2 стадия: Осмысление
Учащимся предлагается текст «The history of basketball », который они должны внимательно прочитать, делая пометки.
Метод пометок INSERT
Индивидуальная работа
Бланки с таблицей
15 мин
3 стадия: Рефлексия
По окончании чтения учащимся предлагается вернуться к сделанным пометкам и заполнить на их основе 3 колонку таблицы ЗХУ «Узнал».
Скорректировать сведения в графе узнал. Сделать выводы, что же ещё хочется узнать и записать в таблицу в форме вопросов. Учащиеся определяют круг возможных способов получения необходимой информации, заполняя графу «Источники информации»
Учащимся предлагается составить синквейн на английском языке с ключевым словом «Баскетбол»
Таблица ЗХУ
Фронтальная работа в режиме полилога
Парная работа
Схема составления синквейна
12-13 мин
Подведение итогов выставление оценок
Учащиеся зачитывают синквейн. Преподаватель выставляет оценки, благодарит учащихся за работу.
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5 мин
Приложение 1
Таблица ЗХУ
Знаю
Хочу узнать
Узнал
Источники информации
Приложение 2.
The Нistory of Вasketball.
The game of basketball has evolved a great deal throughout the years. Basketball was invented (былизобретён) on December 21, 1891. The inventor of the game was a Canadian clergyman (священнослужитель) , James Naismith.
The game of basketball was fashioned from fragments of other games, seeking to eliminate flaws (сцельюустранениянедостатков) of rugby, soccer.
Basketball was first played in the United States at one training school, now called Springfield College.
Basketball is a simple game. The equipment (снаряжение) used in the game is also very simple. In addition to the field itself, all that is needed for a game is a ball. The first 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 (гимнастическийзал) .
In 1893 , the backboard (баскетбольныйщит) was invented. The first backboard was constructed out of wire mesh (проволочнаясетка) , then wood and now it is made out of glass so the backboard does not interfere with the viewing of the game. Around that time, there was no name for this game. 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 (вынутьмячизкорзины) . Finally, in 1913 a hoop with a net (обручссеткой) was invented. In my opinion, the invention of the hoop and net was a major step in the developing of the game of basketball .
In 1921, one man named the game «basketball» and it has been called basketball ever since.
In the very beginning Naismith introduced thirteen original rules for the game of basketball, in which 12 out of the 13 original rules were still used up to 1934. The only rule, which changed, was that a player was now allowed to dribble a basketball (вестибаскетбольныймяч) . The rule of dribbling the basketball was first used in 1896 at a basketball game at Yale University (Йельскийуниверситет) . Also Naismith created four fundamental principles, which stayed in the game from 1891to 1937. These four fundamental principals stated, players with the ball must not make progress, the goal is above the head of the players, roughness (грубость) is eliminated and a player may not receive the ball by use of contact (силовойконтакт) .
Through the years of 1891 to the 1940"s there were many rule changes as well as addition of rules to the game of basketball. 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). The National Basketball League was made up of four teams like New York, Philadelphia, Brooklyn and New Jersey.
By 1932 basketball was officially gaining international status with the founding of the International Amateur Basketball Federation in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1946, the Basketball Association of America was formed but it did not go far well because it was competing against the National Basketball League. But in 1949, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League joined together.
They changed their name to the National Basketball Association (NBA). Throughout the formation of the league there were many rules that were added to the game of basketball In 1930"s, Kenny Sailor invented the jump shot (бросоквпрыжке) . Also in the 1940"s, Bob Kurland used block- shots. In 1952 the foul lane (штрафнаязона) was widened and the three-second rule was put into affect (введено) , so centres could not station themselves in front of the basket all the time. During the 1950"s the National Basketball Association was on the rise.
At this time, basketball was increasing in popularity. Nowadays it is played by 176 nations.
Приложение 3
Схема составления синквейна
For that first game of basketball in 1891, Naismith used as goals two half-bushel baskets, which gave the sport its name. The students were enthusiastic. After much and , William R. Chase made a midcourt shot-the only score in that historic contest. Word spread about the newly invented game, and numerous associations wrote Naismith for a copy of the rules, which were published in the January 15, 1892, issue of the Triangle , the YMCA Training School’s campus paper.
UPI/Bettmann ArchiveWhile basketball is competitively a winter sport, it is played on a 12-month basis-on summer playgrounds, in municipal, industrial, and church halls, in school yards and family driveways, and in summer camps-often on an informal basis between two or more contestants. Many grammar schools, youth groups, municipal recreation centres, churches, and other organizations conduct basketball programs for youngsters of less than high school age. Jay Archer, of , introduced “biddy” basketball in 1950 for boys and girls under 12 years of age, the court and equipment being adjusted for size.
History
The early years
In the early years the number of players on a team varied according to the number in the class and the size of the playing area. In 1894 teams began to play with five on a side when the playing area was less than 1,800 square feet (167.2 square metres); the number rose to seven when the measured from 1,800 to 3,600 square feet (334.5 square metres) and up to nine when the playing area exceeded that. In 1895 the number was occasionally set at five by mutual consent; the rules stipulated five players two years later, and this number has remained ever since.
Since Naismith and five of his original players were Canadians, it is not surprising that was the first country outside the to play the game. Basketball was introduced in in 1893, in in 1894, in , and India soon thereafter, and in in 1900.
While basketball helped swell the membership of YMCAs because of the availability of their , within five years the game was outlawed by various associations because gyms that had been occupied by classes of 50 or 60 members were now monopolized by only 10 to 18 players. The banishment of the game induced many members to terminate their YMCA membership and to hire halls to play the game, thus paving the way to the professionalization of the sport.
Originally, players wore one of three styles of uniforms: knee-length trousers; jersey tights, as commonly worn by wrestlers; or short padded pants, forerunners of today’s uniforms, plus knee guards. The courts often were of irregular shape with occasional obstructions such as pillars, stairways, or offices that interfered with play. In 1903 it was ruled that all boundary lines must be straight. In 1893 the Narragansett Machinery Co. of , marketed a hoop of iron with a hammock style of basket. Originally a ladder, then a pole, and finally a chain fastened to the bottom of the net was used to retrieve a ball after a goal had been scored. Nets open at the bottom were adopted in 1912–13. In 1895–96 the points for making a basket (goal, or field goal) were reduced from three to two, and the points for making a free throw (shot uncontested from a line in front of the basket after a foul had been committed) were reduced from three to one.
Baskets were frequently attached to balconies, making it easy for spectators behind a basket to lean over the railings and deflect the ball to favour one side and hinder the other; in 1895 teams were urged to provide a 4-by-6-foot (1.2-by-1.8-metre) screen for the purpose of eliminating interference. Soon after, wooden proved more suitable. Glass backboards were legalized by the professionals in 1908–09 and by colleges in 1909–10. In 1920–21 the backboards were moved 2 feet (0.6 metre), and in 1939–40 4 feet, in from the end lines to reduce frequent stepping out-of-bounds. Fan-shaped backboards were made legal in 1940–41.
A soccer ball (football) was used for the first two years. In 1894 the first basketball was marketed. It was laced, measured close to 32 inches (81 cm), or about 4 inches (10 cm) larger than the soccer ball, in circumference, and weighed less than 20 ounces (567 grams). By 1948–49, when the laceless molded ball was made official, the size had been set at 30 inches (76 cm).
The first college to play the game was either Geneva College (Beaver Falls, ) or the . C.O. Bemis heard about the new sport at Springfield and tried it out with his students at Geneva in 1892. At Iowa, H.F. Kallenberg, who had attended Springfield in 1890, wrote Naismith for a copy of the rules and also presented the game to his students. At Springfield, Kallenberg met , who became athletic director at the new in 1892. The first college basketball game with five on a side was played between the University of Chicago and the University of Iowa in on January 18, 1896. The University of Chicago won, 15–12, with neither team using a substitute. Kallenberg refereed that game-a common practice in that era-and some of the spectators took exception to some of his decisions.
The colleges formed their own rules committee in 1905, and by 1913 there were at least five sets of rules: collegiate , YMCA–Amateur Athletic Union, those used by state militia groups, and two varieties of professional rules. Teams often agreed to play under a different set for each half of a game. To establish some measure of uniformity, the colleges, Amateur Athletic Union, and YMCA formed the Joint Rules Committee in 1915. This group was renamed the National Basketball Committee (NBC) of the United States and Canada in 1936 and until 1979 served as the game’s sole amateur rule-making body. In that year, however, the colleges broke away to form their own rules committee, and during the same year the likewise assumed the task of establishing separate playing rules for the high schools. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Rules Committee for men is a 12-member board representing all three NCAA divisions. It has six members from Division I schools and three each from Divisions II and III. It has jurisdiction over colleges, junior colleges, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and Armed Forces basketball. There is a similar body for women’s play.
Growth of the game
Basketball grew steadily but slowly in popularity and importance in the United States and internationally in the first three decades after . Interest in the game deepened as a result of television exposure, but with the advent of , especially during the 1980s, the game’s popularity exploded at all levels. Given a timely mix of spectacular players-such as , (“Dr. J”), and -and the greatly increased exposure, basketball moved quickly to the forefront of the American sporting scene, alongside such traditional leaders as and football. Four areas of the game developed during this period: U.S. high school and college basketball, professional basketball, women’s basketball, and international basketball.
U.S. high school and college basketball
Basketball at the high school and college levels developed from a structured, rigid game in the early days to one that is often fast-paced and high-scoring. Individual skills improved markedly, and, although basketball continued to be regarded as the ultimate team game, individualistic, one-on-one performers came to be not only accepted but used as an effective means of winning games.
In the early years games were frequently won with point totals of less than 30, and the game, from the spectator’s viewpoint, was slow. Once a team acquired a modest lead, the popular tactic was to stall the game by passing the ball without trying to score, in an attempt to run out the clock. The NBC, seeing the need to discourage such slowdown tactics, instituted a number of rule changes. In 1932–33 a line was drawn at midcourt, and the offensive team was required to advance the ball past it within 10 seconds or lose possession. Five years later, in 1937–38, the centre jump following each field goal or free throw was eliminated. Instead, the defending team was permitted to inbound the ball from the out-of-bounds line underneath the basket. Decades passed before another alteration of like magnitude was made in the college game. After experimentation, the NCAA Rules Committee installed a 45-second in 1985 (reduced to 35 seconds in 1993), restricting the time a team could control the ball before shooting, and one year later it implemented a three-point shot rule for baskets made beyond a distance of 19.75 feet (6.0 metres). In 2008 the three-point line was moved to 20.75 feet (6.3 metres) from the basket.
More noticeable alteration in the game came at both the playing and coaching levels. Stanford University’s was the first to use and popularize the one-hand shot in the late 1930s. Until then the only outside attempts were two-handed push shots. In the 1950s and ’60s a shooting style evolved from Luisetti’s push-off one hander to a jump shot, which is released at the top of the jump. guard and Purdue University’s Rick Mount were two players who demonstrated the devastating effectiveness of this shot.
Coaching strategy changed appreciably over the years. Frank W. Keaney, coach at the from 1921 to 1948, is credited with introducing the concept of “ ” basketball, in which the offensive team rushes the ball upcourt hoping to get a good shot before the defense can get set. Another man who contributed to a quicker pace of play, particularly through the use of the pressure defense, was , who became the ’s coach in 1931 and turned its program into one of the most storied in basketball history.
Defensive coaching philosophy, similarly, has undergone change. Whereas pioneer coaches such as Henry Iba of Oklahoma A&M University (now ) or Long Island University’s Clair Bee taught strictly a man-to-man defense, the , developed by Cam Henderson of in , later became an integral part of the game (see below ).
Over the years one of the rules makers’ chief concerns was to neutralize the advantage of taller players. At 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 metres) was considered very tall when he played for the Original Celtics in the 1920s, but, as even taller players appeared, rules were changed in response. To prevent tall players from stationing themselves near the basket, a rule was instituted in 1932–33 prohibiting the player with the ball from standing inside the foul lane with his back to the basket for more than three seconds; the three-second rule later applied to any attacking player in the foul lane. In 1937–38 a new rule forbade any player from touching the ball when it was in the basket or on its rim (basket interference), and in 1944–45 it became illegal for any defending player to touch the ball on its downward flight toward the basket (goaltending).
Nevertheless, with each passing decade, the teams with the tallest players tended to dominate. Bob Kurland (7 feet ) led to two NCAA championships in the 1940s and led the nation in scoring in 1945–46. In the same era (6 feet 10 inches ) scored more than 550 points in each of his final two seasons at before going on to play nine professional seasons in which he scored more than 11,000 points. Mikan was an outstanding player, not only because of his size but because of his ability to shoot sweeping hook shots with both hands.
To help equalize the strength of the teams, the NBA established an annual college draft permitting each club to select a college senior in inverse order to the final standings in the previous year’s competition, thus enabling the lower-standing clubs to select the more talented collegians. In addition, the game was altered through three radical rule changes in the 1954–55 season:
A team must shoot for a basket within 24 seconds after acquiring possession of the ball.
A bonus free throw is awarded to a player anytime the opposing team commits more than six (later five, now four) personal fouls in a quarter or more than two personal fouls in an overtime period.
Two free throws are granted for any backcourt foul.
After a struggle to survive, including some large financial losses and several short-lived franchises, the NBA took its place as the major professional basketball league in the United States. A rival 11-team (ABA), with George Mikan as commissioner, was launched in the 1967–68 season, and a bitter feud developed with the NBA for the top collegiate talent each season. In 1976 the ABA disbanded, and four of its teams were taken into the NBA.
The NBA grew increasingly popular through the 1980s. Attendance records were broken in that decade by most of the franchises, a growth pattern stimulated at least in part by the increased coverage by cable television. The NBA has a total of 30 teams organized into Eastern and Western conferences and further divided into six divisions. In the Eastern Conference the Atlantic Division comprises the , the , the , the , and the ; the Central Division is made up of the , the , the , the , and the ; the Southeast Division comprises the , the , the , the , and the . In the Western Conference the Southwest Division comprises the Texas-based . The play-offs follow the traditional 82-game schedule, involving 16 teams and beginning in late April. Played as a best-of-seven series, the final pairings stretch into late June.
Although basketball is traditionally a winter game, the NBA still fills its arenas and attracts a national television audience in late spring and early summer. As the popularity of the league grew, player salaries rose to an annual average of more than $5 million by mid-2000s, and some superstars earned more than $20 million yearly. The NBA has a that limits (at least theoretically, as loopholes allow many teams to exceed the cap) the total amount a team can spend on salaries in any given season.
In 2001 the NBA launched the National Basketball Development League (NBDL). The league served as a kind of “farm system” for the NBA. Through its first 50 years the NBA did not have an official system of player development or a true minor league system for bringing up young and inexperienced players such as exists in major league baseball. College basketball has been the area from which the NBA did the vast majority of its recruiting. By 2000 this had begun to change somewhat, as players began to be drafted straight out of high school with increasing frequency. In 2005 the NBA instituted a rule stipulating that domestic players must be at least age 19 and have been out of high school for one year to be eligible for the draft, which in effect required players to spend at least one year in college or on an international professional team before coming to the NBA.
U.S. ’s basketball
Clara Baer, who introduced basketball at the H. Sophie Newcomb College for Women in New Orleans, influenced the women’s style of play with her set of women’s rules, published in 1895. On receiving a diagram of the court from Naismith, Baer mistook dotted lines, indicating the areas in which players might best execute team play, to be restraining lines, with the result that the forwards, centres, and guards were confined to specified areas. This seemed appropriate because many felt that the men’s game was too strenuous for women.
Women’s rules over the years frequently have been modified. Until 1971 there were six players on a team, and the court was so divided that the three forwards played in the frontcourt and did all the scoring while the three guards covered the backcourt. staged the first women’s college basketball game in 1893 when her freshman and sophomore women played against one another. In April 1895 the women of the University of California (Berkeley) played . Despite a multitude of hindrances (such as being thought unladylike), women’s basketball gradually secured a foothold. In 1971, when women’s rules were changed to reduce the number on a team from six players to five and women were freed from the limits imposed by the half-court game, the level of individual skills and competition quickly rose.
In the early 1980s control of the women’s college game was shifted from the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) to the NCAA, a move that not only streamlined the operation and made it more efficient but also added to the visibility of women’s basketball. The women’s NCAA championship tournament runs concurrently with the men’s, and many of the games are nationally televised. Women’s basketball became an Olympic sport in 1976.
Individual women stars have been heavily recruited by colleges, but the players frequently found that there was no opportunity for them to play beyond the college level. Leagues were occasionally formed, such as the Women’s Professional Basketball League (WPBL); begun in 1978, the WPBL lasted only three years. Eventually filling the void was the (WNBA). Aligned with the powerful NBA, the WNBA held its inaugural season in 1997 with eight teams. By 2006 the WNBA had grown to 14 teams, though following the season the Charlotte Sting disbanded, and in 2008 the WNBA’s inaugural champion, the , also folded. The Sacramento Monarchs disbanded in 2009. The Eastern Conference consists of the Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun (in Uncasville), Indiana Fever (in Indianapolis), New York Liberty (in New York City), and Washington (D.C.) Mystics. The Western Conference comprises the Los Angeles Sparks, Minnesota Lynx (in Minneapolis), Phoenix Mercury, San Antonio Silver Stars, Seattle Storm, and Tulsa (Oklahoma) Shock. Women’s professional basketball is played during the summer months.
International competition
The success of international basketball was greatly advanced by , a Naismith disciple and a former coach at the , who led the movement for the inclusion of basketball in the in 1936 and thereafter. Basketball has also been played in the since their inauguration in 1951. The international game is governed by the (FIBA). World championships began in 1950 for men and in 1953 for women. (The men’s tournament was renamed the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014.) Under international rules the court differs in that there is no frontcourt or backcourt, and the free throw lanes form a modified wedge shape. There are some differences in rules, including those governing substitutions, technical and personal fouls, free throws, intermissions, and time-outs. Outside the United States there are few places that strictly separate amateur from professional athletes.
Basketball has caught on particularly well in . The Italian professional basketball league (Lega Basket) is highly regarded and popular in that country. also has several basketball leagues, the main one being the ACB (Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto). The other major centre of European basketball is eastern Europe, particularly the . Although the European leagues are not formally aligned with the American NBA, there are links between European and American basketball. It is not uncommon for European players to be drafted by the NBA, nor is it uncommon for American players to play in . American players in the European leagues tend to be older players who have finished successful NBA careers in the United States or younger players who have not yet been drafted into the NBA.