Doyouknowwhenbasketballwasinvented?
IfyoutravelaroundChinayouwillnoticeaverypopularactivityeverywhereyougo—basketball.Thismuch-lovedandactivesportisenjoyedbymany,forfunandexercise.
Thesportofbasketballisalittleoverahundredyearsold.Itisplayedbymorethan100millionpeopleinover200countriesincludingChina,wherebasketballhasbeenplayedinparks,schools,andeveninfactories.
BasketballwasinventedbyaCanadiandoctornamedJamesNaismith,whowasbornin1861.Whenhewasatcollege,hisclasswasonceaskedtoinventanewgamethatcouldbeplayedindoorsduringthelongwinters.DrNaismithcreatedagametobeplayedonahardwoodenfloor,sothesafetyoftheplayedwasimportant.Knockingintoplayersandfallingdownwouldbedangerous.
DrNaismithdividedthemeninhisclassintotwoteamsandtaughtthemhowtoplayhisnewgame.Theaimofbasketballisforplayerstogetaballintothe“basket”:anethangingfromametalhoop.Playersshootfrombelowthebasketandmayusethe“backboard”forguidingtheballintothebasket.Playersmovetowardsoneendofthecourtwhilethrowingtheballtoeachother.
ItisbelievedthatonDecember21st,1891,thefirstbasketballgameinhistorywasplayed.Thenin1936inBerlin,itbecameanOlympicevent.AteamfromChinatookpart,andalthoughtheydidn'twintheyusedtheexperiencetohelpdevelopthegameathome.Sincethen,thepopularityofbasketballhasrisenworldwide,andthenumberofforeignplayersinAmerica’sNBA(NationalBasketballAssociation)hasincreased.Basketballhasalsobecomeamorepopularsportforpeopletowatch,andmanyyoungpeopledreamofbecomingfamousbasketballplayers.
