Basketball equipment has changed a lot since James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield in 1891. Originally designed as a gym exercise because it was too cold that day to play sports outside, basketball is now one of the most popular sports in North America. What equipment did they use back then, and what has changed since 1891? We tell you in this blog!
Peach basket
When the first basketball players had to score points, they did not do so in the familiar hoop; instead, they aimed at a wooden peach basket hanging 3 meters above the ground. Players had to use a ladder to get the ball out of the peach basket after every shot. Metal rims with nets soon replaced the wooden baskets, and in 1906 players cut holes in the nets to let the ball go straight through the ring. The height of the hoop has stayed at 3 meters above the court since the beginning of the game.
The first basketballs
Today there are many different kinds of basketballs. There are rubber, leather, indoor basketballs and outdoor basketballs. They also differ in grip and bounce. In the early days, basketball players used a soccer ball in the first games played at the Springfield YMCA. Three years later, Naismith contacted AG Spalding and asked the factory to produce a new ball made specifically for his sport. Spalding’s early basketballs consisted of four leather panels with a rubber inner ball. Factory-made basketballs with a consistent size and shape did not appear until 1942.
Better grip
The National Basketball Association used four-panel basketballs until 1970. In 1983, the NBA announced that it had adopted the full-grain leather Spalding basketball as its official game ball, which it kept using until 2006. That year, the NBA introduced the microfiber composite Spalding Cross Traxion ball as its official game ball. Today, the Wilson basketball is used as the official basketball in the NBA.
Basketball shoes
Basketball shoes have changed a lot since the early 20th century, when canvas shoes with rubber soles dominated. Later came Converse’s Chuck Taylor basketball shoes, which dominated the market from 1921 until the 1960s. Nike released its first basketball shoes in 1972 and began to dominate the market in the 1980s. Nike’s Air Force 1 shoe, with air sole technology designed by Bruce Kilgore, appeared in 1983; and the Air Jordan I and Air Jordan II shoes, inspired by Michael Jordan, appeared in 1983 and 1985. In 1988, Nike released the Air Jordan III.
