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You are here: Home / Sports Memorabilia News / 1908 Basketball Photo Offers Glimpse of the Early Game

1908 Basketball Photo Offers Glimpse of the Early Game

December 1, 2016 By Rich Mueller

One of the earliest known “action” photos of the game of basketball has hit the auction block.

Taken just 17 years after James A. Naismith had invented the game while teaching physical education in Springfield, MA, the 5×7 photo shows a group of Columbia University students standing around the basket as another player attempts to shoot what is presumably a warm up free throw.  

The RMY Auctions Photo of the Day is among over 1,200 in RMY Auctions’ December Premier online catalog.  The back of the photo bears the stamp of George Grantham Bain, one of the most celebrated sports photographers of the early 20th century.  A note at the top refers to the game by its original name of “Basket Ball”.

early-basketball-photo

Taken in a gymnasium on the New York school’s campus, the photo shows another student practicing his boxing skills in the background and offers a glimpse into the early days of the game.  While the equipment is still relatively rudimentary (those aren’t exactly Air Jordans they’re wearing), the game had advanced to the point where peach baskets had disappeared in favor of metal poles, backboard and actual nets attached to the rim.

Colleges led the way for the relatively quick development of the game and helped spread its popularity to where intercollegiate game was played in Minnesota in 1895.  However, the NCAA Tournament was still over 30 years away when this image was taken.

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for more than 30 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]

Filed Under: Sports Memorabilia News Tagged With: 1908, James Naismith, RMY Auctions, vintage basketball

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click one and make a purchase, we receive a commission.  The revenue is what helps keep SC Daily afloat!

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