At a Glance
Basketball: References & Edit History
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Additional Reading
Histories of the game of basketball include Basketball: Its Origin and Development (1941, reissued 1996), by the game’s inventor, James Naismith. Bernice Larson Webb, The Basketball Man: James Naismith, rev. ed. (1994), is a comprehensive biography of Naismith. Joan S. Holt and Marianna Trekell (eds.), A Century of Women’s Basketball: From Frailty to Final Four (1991), is a comprehensive treatment of the women’s game.
Other studies of the sport include Rick Telander, Heaven Is a Playground (1976), a chronicle of the New York City playground basketball scene; Stanley Cohen, The Game They Played (1977), a view of the gambling scandals that rocked college basketball in the 1950s; David Halberstam, The Breaks of the Game (1981), a behind-the-scenes chronicle of a season spent with the Portland Trail Blazers; John Feinstein, A Season on the Brink: A Year with Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers (1986), a compelling account of the 1985–86 Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball team; Joe Gergen, The Final Four (1987), a history of the NCAA; Robert W. Peterson, Cages to Jump Shots: Pro Basketball’s Early Years (1990), a history of the developing professional game with an emphasis on the contributions of African and Jewish Americans; Terry Pluto, Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association (1990), a history of the ABA told through interviews with notable figures from that league; Sam Smith, The Jordan Rules (1992), an account of Michael Jordan’s peak years; Todd Boyd, Young, Black, Rich, and Famous: The Rise of the NBA, The Hip Hop Invasion, and the Transformation of American Culture, an exploration of the effect of hip-hop culture on the sport; Seth Davis, When March Went Mad: The Game That Transformed Basketball (2009), a description of the 1979 NCAA championship game and the larger rivalry of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird; and FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History (2010), an irreverent and insightful history of professional basketball with an emphasis on the sport’s impact on American culture. The NBA’s Official Encyclopedia of Pro Basketball, 3rd ed. (2000), has general information and statistics.
Further records and statistics are provided in The Official NBA Guide (annual), NBA Register (annual), and The Official WNBA Guide and Register (annual), all published by The Sporting News, which give the records for the preceding year and the career surveys of all players in that year; and The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Basketball Guide (annual), with U.S. college records, schedules, and statistics.
Article Contributors
Primary Contributors
- Robert G. Logan
- William George Mokray
- Larry W. Donald
-
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors
Article History
| Type | Description | Contributor | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Article title updated for style. | Nov 11, 2026 | ||
| In the WNBA championship table, added the results of the 2026 season. | Oct 31, 2026 | ||
| Invalidated site: International Olympic Committee - History of basketball at Olympics: A tale of American domination. | Oct 19, 2026 | ||
| In the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup table, added the results from 2026. | Sep 14, 2026 | ||
| Add new Web site: Library of Congress - Research Guides - Basketball. | Aug 29, 2026 | ||
| In the NBA championship table, added the results from the 2025–26 season. | Jun 13, 2026 | ||
| Added cross-references. | Apr 24, 2026 | ||
| Updated records through the end of the 2025–26 regular season. | Apr 13, 2026 | ||
| In the Division I NCAA championship table for men, added the results from 2026. | Apr 06, 2026 | ||
| In the Division I NCAA Championship table for women, added the results for the 2026 tournament. | Apr 05, 2026 | ||
| Revised first paragraph. | Dec 12, 2025 | ||
| Changed date of basketball's invention from “on or about December 1” to “on December 21.” | Nov 17, 2025 | ||
| Added the results of the 2025 season. | Oct 11, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: BBC - Bitesize - Basketball - factfile. | Aug 29, 2025 | ||
| Changed Gregg Popovich's regular-season career win total from 1,422 to 1,390. | Jul 02, 2025 | ||
| Added the results from the 2024−25 season. | Jun 22, 2025 | ||
| Updated through the end of the 2024–25 regular season. | May 05, 2025 | ||
| Add new Web site: International Olympic Committee - History of basketball at Olympics: A tale of American domination. | Apr 25, 2025 | ||
| Questions and answers added. | Feb 14, 2025 | ||
| Added cross-reference to FIBA. | Sep 09, 2024 | ||
| Article revised to note the current name of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup and to mention the rise of 3x3 basketball. Media added. | Jul 12, 2024 | ||
| Media added. | May 06, 2024 | ||
| Add new Web site: National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Physiology of Basketball Field tests. | Apr 16, 2024 | ||
| Link added. | Mar 24, 2023 | ||
| Media added. | Mar 06, 2023 | ||
| Media added. | Mar 03, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: The Canadian Encyclopedia - Basketball in Canada. | Jan 03, 2023 | ||
| Add new Web site: Olympics.com - History of basketball at Olympics: A tale of American domination. | Aug 24, 2022 | ||
| Corrected display issue. | Apr 29, 2021 | ||
| Changed “black” to “Black.” | Aug 20, 2020 | ||
| Corrected display issue. | Jan 22, 2020 | ||
| Add new Web site: Springfield College - Where Basketball was Invented: The History of Basketball. | Mar 12, 2019 | ||
| Add new Web site: Inventors and Inventions - Basketball. | Mar 12, 2019 | ||
| Add new Web site: Kidzworld - The History of Basketball. | Jan 27, 2017 | ||
| Add new Web site: Olympic.org - Basketball. | Jan 27, 2017 | ||
| Added a photo of the 2013 NCAA men's basketball championship game. | Aug 19, 2016 | ||
| In Winners of select basketball championships section, changed "FIBA men's world championship" to "FIBA Basketball World Cup." | Feb 03, 2015 | ||
| In History section, noted that the name of the men's world championship was changed to the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014. | Sep 10, 2014 | ||
| Noted that the Charlotte NBA team was renamed the Hornets in 2014. | May 28, 2014 | ||
| Add new Web site: IndiaNetzone - History of Basketball in India. | Oct 24, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: Buzzle.com - Basketball. | Apr 22, 2013 | ||
| Added cross-references and changed names of Brooklyn Nets and New Orleans Pelicans. | Apr 18, 2013 | ||
| Add new Web site: How Stuff Works - Entertainment - Game of Basketball. | Sep 20, 2012 | ||
| Changed WNBA shot-clock time to from 30 seconds to 24 seconds and added mention of women's college basketball having a 30-second shot clock. | May 25, 2011 | ||
| In History section, added that the men's college basketball shot clock was reduced to 35 seconds in 1993. | May 25, 2011 | ||
| Updated number of teams that participate in the men's NCAA tournament from 65 to 68. | Mar 15, 2011 | ||
| Eight titles added to bibliography. | Jan 13, 2011 | ||
| Table of NBA all-time records added to the article. | Aug 27, 2010 | ||
| Added "Shock" to name of Tulsa WNBA franchise. | Mar 11, 2010 | ||
| Updated information concerning WNBA teams--the Detroit Shock moved to Tulsa in 2009, and later that year the Sacramento Monarchs folded. | Nov 23, 2009 | ||
| Changed "Rhode Island University" to "University of Rhode Island." | Jul 21, 2009 | ||
| History section revised and updated. | May 11, 2009 | ||
| Play of the game section revised and updated. | May 11, 2009 | ||
| Added new Web site: How Stuff Works - Entertainment - How Basketball Works. | Mar 04, 2009 | ||
| Removed the Houston Comets from the list of WNBA franchises, and added a reference to their disbanding. | Dec 03, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Sportsknowhow - History of Basketball. | Sep 26, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: Buzzle.com - History of Basketball. | Sep 26, 2008 | ||
| Added new Web site: ThinkQuest - History in Basketball. | Sep 26, 2008 | ||
| Article revised. | Jun 17, 2008 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Jun 17, 2008 | ||
| Media added. | May 07, 2008 | ||
| Table added. | Mar 22, 2007 | ||
| Article revised and updated. | Jun 09, 2006 | ||
| Article revised. | Feb 24, 2005 | ||
| Article revised. | Feb 19, 2004 | ||
| Article revised. | Mar 28, 2003 | ||
| Article revised. | Mar 14, 2002 | ||
| Article revised. | Nov 02, 2001 | ||
| Article added to new online database. | Jul 26, 1999 |
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