Popularity

Basketball's early adherents were dispatched to YMCAs throughout the United States, and it quickly
spread through the USA and Canada. By 1895, it was well established at several women's high schools.
While the YMCA was responsible for initially developing and spreading the game, within a decade it
discouraged the new sport, as rough play and rowdy crowds began to detract from the YMCA's primary mission.
However, other amateur sports clubs, colleges, and professional clubs quickly filled the void.
In the years before World War I, the Amateur Athletic Union and the Intercollegiate Athletic Association
of the United States (forerunner of the NCAA) vied for control over the rules for the game.
The first pro league, the National Basketball League, was formed in 1898 to protect players from exploitation
and to promote a less rough game. This league only lasted five years.

Public interviews and reviews coming soon.