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Photo of First Team

First Team

In an attempt to increase participation in his gym class, which consisted of older gentlemen training to become executive secretaries, James Naismith invented a game he called “basket ball” (then two words). Initially, his class of eighteen “incorrigibles” who had already driven off two previous instructors, scoffed at the idea. But from the moment the first ball was tossed into the air, the class played with an enthusiasm never before seen at the Springfield YMCA. Initially, the class concentrated on individual skills. But when both the class and Naismith realized that group effort was needed to play the game well, the first true basketball team was born. Word spread quickly. Spectators flocked to watch this exciting, new sport. By playing the first game of basketball on December 21, 1891, Naismith and the First Team laid the groundwork for what was to become the fastest growing game in sports history. The first game was played to a 1-0 score and included nine players to a side.

Enshrined

1959

Team Stats

First Team Founded during a class at the Springfield YMCA
Toured the U.S. Helped popularize basketball in the months following its invention
First Game Played on December 21, 1891 with eighteen players, nine to a side
1-0 Score of the first game of basketball