Basketball's Greatest Coaches

Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world and the second most popular in the United States and unlike other popular American sports it’s the only one that originated in the U.S(The basketball man, 2006).The game of basketball has evolved tremendously since its creation in 1891 by James Naismith. Naismith was a physical education teacher at the School for Christian Workers, now Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was approached by the head of the department one day in early December to invent a game that will keep the athletes busy and entertained during the winter months. The winters were fierce and long in Springfield and most of the school’s sports were played outside so in order for the athletes to stay in shape year round a new recreation would have to be incorporated during between winter and spring. Naismith divided his class of 18 in half and introduced them to this new game.At first Naismith was a little apprehensive about is idea, telling himself, “When I had decided how I would start the game, I felt that I would have little trouble. I knew that there would be questions to be met; but I had the fundamental principles of a game, and I was more than willing to try to meet these problems, I continued with my day's work, and it was late in the evening before I again had a chance to think of my new scheme”(Naismith, 1941).

The first basketball game used a soccer ball and two peach baskets, neither of which had holes in their bottoms. There were no backboards, no ten-second line, three-second violation, frontcourt or backcourt, and no boundary lines. Plus, there were no free throws; if a team committed three fouls in a row, the other team got a point(The basketball man, 2006). At first baske...

... middle of paper ...

...isterous attitude and aggressive coaching style. Robert Montgomery Knight also known as Bob Knight and nicknamed “The General” was the first of his kind. Born Oct. 25, 1940, in Massillon, Ohio, Knight grew up Orrville, where he played basketball, football and baseball for the Orrville Red Riders. Later he went to Ohio State University and played basketball. Only having started two games his whole playing career Knight was a bench player but won sixth man of the year on the 1960 championship squad. After graduating with degrees in history and government, Knight enlisted in the U.S. Army and accepted an assistant coaching position and became head coach in only two years. In his six seasons at West Point, Knight won 102 games and lost only 50. One of his players was Mike Krzyzewski, legendary coach of the Duke Blue Devils (Alford & Garrity, 1989).