History of Basketball in Timeline

Basketball is a team sport played on a rectangular court where two teams, typically of five players, compete to score points by shooting a ball through the opponent's hoop while defending their own. Points are awarded as two for a regular field goal or three if shot from beyond the three-point line. Free throws, worth one point each, are awarded after fouls. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins; if the score is tied after regulation, overtime is played.

1901: Colleges begin sponsoring men's basketball games

In 1901, various colleges, including the University of Chicago, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, the University of Minnesota, the U.S. Naval Academy, the University of Colorado, and Yale University started sponsoring men's basketball games, marking a growth in the sport's popularity.

1902: Berenson Becomes Editor of Women's Basketball Guide

In 1902, Senda Berenson became the editor of A. G. Spalding's first Women's Basketball Guide.

February 6, 1904: First Canadian Interuniversity Basketball Game

On February 6, 1904, the first Canadian interuniversity basketball game took place at YMCA in Kingston, Ontario, between McGill University and Queen's University. McGill won 9–7 in overtime.

1904: Basketball Demonstration at the Summer Olympics

In 1904, a basketball demonstration tournament was held at the Summer Olympics.

1905: Formation of the IAAUS

In 1905, prompted by frequent injuries in football, President Theodore Roosevelt suggested that colleges form a governing body. This led to the creation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS).

1905: Creation of National Women's Basketball Committee

In 1905, the American Physical Education Association created the executive committee on Basket Ball Rules, also known as the National Women's Basketball Committee.

1906: Metal Hoops Replace Peach Baskets

In 1906, the original peach baskets used in basketball were replaced by metal hoops with backboards. This change made it easier for the ball to pass through and also allowed for rebound shots.

1910: IAAUS Changes Name to NCAA

In 1910, the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (IAAUS) changed its name to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

1915: Start of Edmonton Grads Touring Team

In 1915, the Edmonton Grads, a touring Canadian women's team based in Edmonton, Alberta, began operating.

1917: Launch of National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament

In 1917, the National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament was established at the University of Chicago by Amos Alonzo Stagg, inviting state champion teams to compete.

1924: International Women's Sports Federation Basketball Competition

In 1924, the International Women's Sports Federation included a women's basketball competition.

1924: Inauguration of the National Catholic Interscholastic Basketball Tournament

In 1924, the National Catholic Interscholastic Basketball Tournament was inaugurated and held at Loyola University.

1925: 37 Women's High School Basketball Tournaments

By 1925, 37 women's high school varsity basketball or state tournaments were held.

1926: First National Women's Basketball Championship

In 1926, the Amateur Athletic Union backed the first national women's basketball championship, complete with men's rules.

1928: Edmonton Grads Win Olympic Exhibition Tournament

In 1928, the Edmonton Grads won an exhibition Olympics tournament.

1929: National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament for Black High Schools

In 1929, the National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament for Black High Schools was established and held at Hampton Institute.

1929: Growth of National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament

In 1929, the National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament had expanded, featuring 29 state champion teams participating in the event held at the University of Chicago.

1929: First Women's AAU All-America Team Chosen

In 1929, the first women's AAU All-America team was chosen.

1930: End of National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament

In 1930, the last National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament was held due to opposition from the National Federation of State High School Associations and North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

1932: Formation of FIBA

In 1932, FIBA (International Basketball Federation) was formed by eight founding nations: Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania and Switzerland. The organization oversaw only amateur players at this time.

1932: Edmonton Grads Win Olympic Exhibition Tournament

In 1932, the Edmonton Grads won an exhibition Olympics tournament.

1936: Basketball Included in Summer Olympics

In 1936, men's basketball was first included as a medal sport at the Berlin Summer Olympics. The United States defeated Canada in the final game.

1936: Edmonton Grads Win Olympic Exhibition Tournament

In 1936, the Edmonton Grads won an exhibition Olympics tournament.

1937: First Men's National Championship Tournament

In 1937, the first men's national championship tournament, the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball tournament, which still exists as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament, was organized.

1938: First NCAA National Tournament

In 1938, the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) in New York, the first national championship for NCAA teams, was organized. The NCAA national tournament began one year later.

1938: Women's National Championship Rule Change

In 1938, the women's national championship changed from a three-court game to a two-court game with six players per team.

1940: End of Edmonton Grads Touring Team

In 1940, the Edmonton Grads, a touring Canadian women's team based in Edmonton, Alberta, ceased operating.

1941: Launch of the National Invitational Interscholastic Basketball Tournament

In 1941, the National Invitational Interscholastic Basketball Tournament was established at Tuskegee Institute.

1942: End of National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament for Black High Schools

In 1942, the National Interscholastic Basketball Tournament for Black High Schools ended its run at Hampton Institute.

November 1, 1946: First BAA Game

On November 1, 1946, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) held its first game in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, featuring the Toronto Huskies and New York Knickerbockers.

1948: College Basketball Gambling Scandals Emerge

Starting in 1948, college basketball was rocked by gambling scandals. Dozens of players from top teams were implicated in game-fixing and point shaving.

1949: BAA and NBL Merger

In 1949, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL) merged to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).

1950: First FIBA World Championship for Men

In 1950, the first FIBA World Championship for men, now known as the FIBA Basketball World Cup, was held in Argentina.

1951: College Basketball Gambling Scandals Emerge

By 1951, dozens of players from top college basketball teams were implicated in game-fixing and point shaving, leading to gambling scandals that impacted the sport.

1954: Start of the National Catholic Invitational Basketball Tournament

In 1954, the National Catholic Invitational Basketball Tournament began, held at various venues including Catholic University, Georgetown, and George Mason.

1959: Founding of Basketball Hall of Fame

In 1959, a basketball hall of fame was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts, the site of the first game, to honor great players, coaches, referees, and contributors to the sport.

1964: Move of the National Invitational Interscholastic Basketball Tournament to Alabama State College

In 1964, the National Invitational Interscholastic Basketball Tournament was held at Alabama State College.

1967: Emergence of the American Basketball Association (ABA)

In 1967, the American Basketball Association (ABA) was formed, posing a threat to the NBA's dominance.

1967: The last National Invitational Interscholastic Basketball Tournament

In 1967, the last National Invitational Interscholastic Basketball Tournament took place at Alabama State College.

1972: Controversial Olympic Final

In 1972, a controversial final game at the Munich Olympics saw the Soviet Union defeat the United States after the ending was replayed three times.

April 9, 1975: First PBA Game

On April 9, 1975, the Philippine Basketball Association's (PBA) first game was played at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City, Philippines.

1976: ABA-NBA Merger

In 1976, the American Basketball Association (ABA) merged with the National Basketball Association (NBA), consolidating professional basketball leagues.

1976: Women's Basketball Becomes Official Olympic Sport

In 1976, women's basketball became an official Olympic sport.

1976: Women's Basketball Added to Olympics

In 1976, women's basketball was added to the Olympics, which were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

1978: End of the National Catholic Invitational Basketball Tournament

In 1978, the National Catholic Invitational Basketball Tournament concluded, having been held at a series of venues including Catholic University, Georgetown, and George Mason.

1979: Commencement of the NBL in Australia

In 1979, Australia's pre-eminent men's professional basketball league, the NBL, commenced, playing a winter season.

1981: Inauguration of the Women's National Basketball League

In 1981, the Women's National Basketball League began.

1989: FIBA Allows NBA Players in Olympics

In 1989, FIBA allowed professional NBA players to participate in the Olympics for the first time, opening up the competition to a new level of talent.

1992: Debut of the United States 'Dream Team'

Prior to the 1992 Summer Olympics, FIBA allowed European and South American teams to field professionals in the Olympics. The United States' dominance continued with the introduction of the original Dream Team.

1996: American Basketball League Formation

In 1996, the American Basketball League was formed.

1997: WNBA Inaugural Season

In 1997, the NBA-backed Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) began.

1998: NBL Shift to Summer Season

In 1998, the NBL shifted to the current summer season format (October–April) in an attempt to avoid competing directly against Australia's various football codes.

2001: Formation of the NBA Development League

In 2001, the NBA formed a developmental league, initially known as the National Basketball Development League, which later became the NBA D-League and then the NBA G League after a branding deal with Gatorade.

2004: United States Suffers Olympic Losses

At the 2004 Athens Olympics, the United States suffered its first Olympic loss while using professional players, falling to Puerto Rico and Lithuania in group games and being eliminated in the semifinals by Argentina. They eventually won the bronze medal.

2006: Discovery of Naismith's Diaries

In early 2006, James Naismith's handwritten diaries were discovered by his granddaughter. The diaries revealed that Naismith was apprehensive about the new game he had invented.

June 2007: WNBA Signed Contract Extension with ESPN

In June 2007, the WNBA signed a contract extension with ESPN.

2007: 3x3 Basketball Tested at Asian Indoor Games

In 2007, 3x3 basketball was first tested at the Asian Indoor Games in Macau.

2008: The Redeem Team Wins Gold

In 2008, the Redeem Team won gold at the Olympics, restoring the United States' dominance in international basketball.

March 12, 2009: NBA Commissioner Comments on WNBA Profitability

On March 12, 2009, NBA commissioner David Stern stated that the NBA was less profitable than the WNBA.

2009: First Official 3x3 Tournaments

In 2009, the first official 3x3 tournaments were held at the Asian Youth Games in Singapore.

2010: 3x3 at Youth Olympics

In 2010, 3x3 was played at the Youth Olympics in Singapore.

2010: B-Team Wins FIBA World Championship

In 2010, the B-Team won gold at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey despite featuring no players from the 2008 squad.

2011: First FIBA 3x3 Youth World Championships

In 2011, the first FIBA 3x3 Youth World Championships were held in Rimini, Italy.

2012: United States Wins Gold at the Olympics

In 2012, the United States continued its dominance by winning gold at the Olympics.

2014: United States Wins Gold at the FIBA World Cup

In 2014, the United States continued its dominance by winning gold at the FIBA World Cup.

2016: United States Wins Gold at the Olympics

In 2016, the United States continued its dominance by winning gold at the Olympics.

2016: End of WNBA's TV Deal

In 2016, the WNBA's TV deal with ESPN ended.

2016: Potential Olympic Sport

In 2016, the sport was highly tipped to become an Olympic sport.

2016: High School Basketball Participation

In the 2016-17 season, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, 980,673 boys and girls represented their schools in interscholastic basketball competition, showing basketball's popularity in high schools across the United States.