Final 4

copdsux

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
We're down to the "Final Four" and not a single post about the NCAA tournament? What's up with that?
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
In December 1891, Canadian-born James Naismith, a physical education teacher at the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association) training school, took a soccer ball and a peach basket into the gym and invented basketball. In Springfield MA

Bears Don't Run Downhill", is a book of 201 interesting facts. One of which is titled "Basketball Was Invented By the Aztecs". (Nothing to do with SDSU!) It explains...

"The suggestion is that the sport of basketball originated in pre-Colombian civilisations in South America."

It continues:
"European visitors in the 16th century were bemused to see tlachtli or ullamiliztli (meaning ball game). It still exists in areas of Mexico today (As Hip Ulama).
Hip Ulama - The predecessor of basketball
Hip Ulama - The predecessor of basketball
The game was 3,000 years old before the Spanish got there."

The game was slightly different to basketball, but the basics were in place:

"Extensive archaelogical evidence suggests the existence of I shaped courts, balls and player figurines. The game was played on an oblong court, with two smaller courts at either end. Players had to get a rubber ball into a stone hoop - but could only use their hips and knees."

This conforms with my theory that all US games are foreign games with new bits added to get interest, i.e. in basketball's case, use of the hands.

"The modern game comes from PE teacher James Naismith, who, whilst working for what is now Springfield College in Massachusetts. He wanted to give his students something to do in winter. "

So he had probably seen the Mexican game and adapted it, which is something all coaches do to try and improve their team.

" He created a game where a football (soccer ball) had to be dunked into peach baskets."

Hence the basketball is similar to a football, and hence the "Slam Dunk" we have today.
Which is fair enough, but "peach baskets"!!
 
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