Original scientific paper

“Duck on the rock”: the origins and mysteries of basketball

Kenneth L. Swalgin ; The Pennsylvania State University, PA, USA

Abstract

The sport of basketball in the past 110 years has grown to be one of the most exciting and popular games in the world. Despite the game’s popularity, I would venture to guess that few coaches, fans, or students of the game have a thorough understanding of the game’s origin, the rationale for its creation, or the genesis of the concept of tossing a ball through a raised goal, This article will attempt to shed some light on these issues and trace the game’s development from its inception in 1891 to its more modern form in 1939, the year James Naismith died. The article will also trace the significant equipment and rule changes that have brought the game into its modern form, and investigate the origins of some of the games most unique terminology. Through this process of exploration into the history of the game, it well become clear that although the game has change significantly over the years, the fundamental structure of the game has remained intact, a tribute to its inventor Dr. James Naismith.
When studying the history of sport, and ball sports in particular, there are very few sports whose origins can be traced with any certainty, Basketball however, is one sport whose origin is known but to many coaches, fans, and students of the game its origins are still shrouded in some mystery. It is the purpose of this article to take a look back to 1891, the year James Naismith an instructor at the Young Men's Christians’ Association (YMCA) International Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts invented the game of “basket ball.” The above picture of Dr, James Naismith holding a modern day basketball may at first seem out of place. However, the picture is a metaphor representing how little the actual structure of the game has changed since its inception in 1891. This article will trace the origin and development of the game from 1891 to 1939, the year of Naismith’s death. The article will also describe the rationale for the new game, trace the origins of some of the game’s unique terminology, trace the essential rules and equipment changes that brought the game into its modern form, and most importantly, describe the genesis of the game’s most defining characteristic, that of shooting a ball into a raised goal.

Keywords

history of basketball, development of the game, James Naismith

Hrčak ID:

257017

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/257017

Publication date:

4.5.2001.

Article data in other languages: german

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