Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
Filling a basketball with air may be required when you purchase a new ball or when a ball has gone unused for an extended period. Air will also naturally leak out during ordinary use and, over time, the basketball will become noticeable less bouncy.
Created by James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891, the game of basketball has grown from a simple indoor game involving a ball and peach baskets to a complex, widely popular sport that is played at many levels throughout the United States. At its highest levels of competition, basketball is a money-making commodity that commands a national and worldwide audience. Basketball history in the U.S. is rich and steeped in tradition.
The early days of basketball, featuring peach baskets and a soccer ball, bear little resemblance to the fast-paced and highly lucrative game millions of people watch today. In an attempt to keep athletes physically active during the winter months, James Naismith, a physical education teacher at the School for Christian Workers in Springfield, Mass., divided his 18 students into two teams of nine and introduced them to his creation known as basket ball (two separate words).
Dayton, Ohio, is the birth place of the Wright Brothers, the two men who are credited with inventing and building the world's first working airplane. As a result Dayton has long been associated with aviation but it has not just been their innovators who knew how to fly. The city can also hold pride in the varied and rich success of their high school and college basketball programs.
As of 2010, women good enough to play professional basketball had limited opportunities, but those were better opportunities than players had even 20 years before. In March of 2009, National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern said the WNBA-the-NBA-sponsored Women's National Basketball Association--was actually more profitable in a bad economy than the NBA.
The materials and technology of basketball shoes have changed significantly over the years. New shoes boast features that sometimes border on science-fiction, but with all of these advancements, the classic "Cons" from the 1920s are still as popular as ever. Basketball shoes can be classified as a piece of essential athletic equipment, but their rich history of innovative ideas and professional-player endorsement has also made them a symbol of status and style.
Basketball was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, a physical education teacher in Springfield, Massachusetts. Dr. Naismith determined that his students needed something to do in the winter months when it was too cold to participate in outdoor sports. Over the past decade, the game has undergone several changes to become the modern sport enjoyed today. Many of those changes have involved the playing surface itself.
From its official incorporation into the Olympics in 1936, basketball has been one of the most popular international sports. During each Olympics, teams compete against the best players in the world. Although the rules and players have changed over the years, the spirit of Olympic basketball has remained unchanged.
The first NCAA basketball championship was held in 1939 in Evanston, Ill.. The eight-team tournament was the idea of Kansas coach Phog Allen and was conducted by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. The NCAA took over the tourney a year later.
For years, the name Spalding has been synonymous with basketball. As a leader in sporting goods manufacturing, their technology advancements have kept up with and helped propel the sport's popularity.
The origins of the sport of basketball date back to 1891, when it was invented by Canadian physical education teacher James Naismith at a gymnasium in Springfield, Massachusetts. Since its birth, the sport has become one of the most played around the world.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys (Oklahoma A&M from 1890 to 1957) began playing basketball in 1908. The Cowboys are ranked 35th in total victories in NCAA men's Division I, through the 2008-09 season. Oklahoma State has 1,452 wins and 1,018 losses. Hall of Fame basketball coach Henry Iba guided Oklahoma State to back-to-back NCAA crowns in 1945 and 1946.
Uniforms today are different than the ones worn decades ago. Michael Jordan's signature No. 23 jersey and baggy shorts were as much a part of his game as his jump shot and electrifying slam dunks. But how would he have looked trying to play the game in pants? Would Kobe Bryant be the same player he is today if he wore a wool jersey? How would Bill Russell and the great Celtics teams of the 1950s and 1960s looked if they played in the early 1990s? Time has had a curious effect on the fashion in professional basketball.
I can hear former basketball coach and current basketball analyst Dick Vitale screaming, " It's a dipsy do-dunk a roo. That kid's a PTP'er Baby!" College basketball is one of the most popular sports in America and March Madness is a household word. College hoops can be seen 24-7 on TV. Images of Marquette coach Al McGuire crying when his team won The NCAA Championship in 1977 or N.C. State's Jimmy V. running around looking for someone to hug after Derrick Lowe nailed the game winner against Houston in the 1983 NCAA title game are plastered in the hoops junky's…
