Basketball Greats of the 20th Century

Basketball is one of the famous sports in the world. Almost everyone in the world plays this sport because of its immense popularity, and it is an entertaining recreation for bored people.

A person might be able to say that basketball of today is still the same sport back in the early 20th Century, but if one is going to review the history of basketball he might be able to recognize the differences of the basketball of today and the past.

Basketball started in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The mastermind of this sport is Jaimes Naismith, a Canadian. The sport has gained its immense popularity after staying for 25 years.

At those days, basketballs were made from brown leather boards that were sewn together with rubber bladders. They are also too slick to grasp, making it hard for players to hold them. In addition, they also have the tendency to easily lose their form.

The game was played in a small gym, which can only accommodate 100 people or less. And to keep the spectators from interfering, the court was protected by ropes or chicken wires, some are protected by cages.

Back then, the shooting styles were seen to be inefficient because only 30 percent of these shots were able to get through into the net. These shots are the underhand shot, two-handed set shot, hook shot, and layup. However, despite the inefficiency of these shots, they were still considered as the greatest things that happened in the early 20th century of basketball.

Other impacts that were made during the early period of basketball were the legacies of Bob Cousy and Bob Pettit. These two people have been marked as the greatest players in the league of professional basketball. Bob Cousy was name the Houdini of the Hardwood as his skills are beyond of an ordinary player. He was responsible for the six titles of Boston Celtics in 1957 and from 1959 – 1963. On the other hand, Bob Pettit is the first player with a 26.4 points average per game. He also led the St. Louis hawks in the championship in 1957, 1960, and 1961, and helped the team won their first championship title in 1958.

But the most important event happened in the history of basketball during the 20th century was the introduction of Michael Jordan in the sport. He was the first player who has drawn his team to various championship titles and made basketball as a source of recreation and entertainment for everybody. With his exceptional skills, he has amazed thousands of people all over the world and inspired them to play basketball.

Knowing the greatest events that happened in the 20th century of Basketball will help a person to determine the importance of the sports and why it is a entertaining recreation.