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How did the first basketball differ from a modern basketball?
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Basketball
Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls leaping into the air during the slam-dunk competition at NBA All-Star weekend in Chicago, February 6, 1988.
For the first two years of the sport, there was no dedicated basketball; players used a standard soccer ball instead.12
In 1894, the first official basketball was marketed. This early version differed from the modern ball in several key ways:
- Construction: The first basketball was laced, whereas modern balls are molded and laceless.1
- Size: The initial basketball measured nearly 32 inches (81 cm) in circumference, which was approximately 4 inches larger than the soccer ball used previously. By the 1948–49 season, the official size was reduced to approximately 30 inches (76 cm).1
- Weight: The early version weighed less than 20 ounces (567 grams).1
The transition to the modern, laceless molded ball was finalized by the 1948–49 season, establishing the standard equipment used in the game today.1