preview

Dr. James Naismith: A Success Story Of Basketball

Better Essays
Open Document

A game that started with eighteen men in a YMCA gymnasium in Springfield, Massachusetts, has grown into a game that more than 300 million people play worldwide. The man who created this instantly successful sport was Dr. James Naismith. In 1891, under direction from Dr. Luther Gulick, the head of the School, Naismith was given 14 days to create an indoor game. The goal of this directive was to provide a creative and healthy indoor “athletic distraction” for a rowdy class of students during the brutal New England winter. The first professional basketball league was formed in 1898. The Game grew in popularity and within a few years, most of the YMCA centers in the Northeastern United States, and Southern Canada had facilities to accommodate …show more content…

Michael also known as the best basketball player, actor, businessman and olympic athlete. American basketball star was born on February 17,1963, in Brooklyn, New York, one of James and Deloris Jordan’s five children. When he was younger his family moved to Wilmington, North Carolina. His father worked as a General Electric plant supervisor and his mother worked in a bank. His father taught him to work hard and not to be tempted by street life. As a child, he was taught by his parents to be hardworking and independent. Michael went to Wilmington's 'Emsley A. Laney High School', where he developed a love for sports like basketball, baseball and football. Growing up with two older brothers, Michael had some big shoes to fill. He was never one to get into fights and start trouble. Although, he did struggle in school with his grades until he reached high school and became a B+ student.
Many people believe professional athletes were born to play that sport and think they have been playing that same sport for years. Not many know that Michael Jordan’s first love was baseball and not basketball. His father had the dream of seeing his son as a professional baseball player. Jordan …show more content…

However, the young athlete was selected by team ‘Chicago Bulls’ after players Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie were chosen by 'Houston Rockets' and 'Portland Trail Blazers', respectively.Jordan quickly became a favorite of many fans, including fans of other teams. When you heard of the number 23, people knew Michael Jordan's name. Just some time over a month into his career, he had already appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Even contemporaneous superstars recognized the unparalleled position of Jordan. Magic Johnson said, "There's Michael Jordan and then there is the rest of us." Larry Bird, following a playoff game where Jordan dropped 63 points on the Boston Celtics in just his second season, appraisal of the young player was: "God disguised as Michael Jordan “(NBA). He made the game look easy, more so, perhaps, than anyone who ever laced on sneakers. Yet those six championship rings did not come easily, not for the Bulls and not for

Get Access
Related
Get Access