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Basketball Technology
How basketball has improved technology. -
First sneakers
In 1891, the first basketball sneakers were made of rubber, Chuck Taylor shoes being the most popular. These shoes were made to suit the sport and eventually more improvements of shoes were developed. These improvements made the sport so much easier to play. No Nike shoes were made in the times. -
A soccer ball?
In 1891 when basketball was created, soccer balls were used but had very limited grip. This meant that offence was very hard to play and losing the ball was really easy. It didn't allow players to use much of their skills while dribbling.t -
Backboard
In 1893, the backboard was then added which stopped fans interfering with players shots and allowed rebounding. They were originally made out of chicken wire, as were the baskets. It allowed players to rebound and bank shots. -
Inner backboard box
In 1893, the inner box was also added to the backboard a month later. It was used as a way to help aim a shot and was put on the backboard. This allowed better aim for bank shots and other shots in general. -
The basketball
In 1894, a specific ball was made for the game. It was held together by laces and made of leather. It had a circumference of 32 inches. The ball allowed more grip and was overall more comfortable for players to use. -
Metal rim
It was 1901 and the net of the baskets were still closed. A metal rim was added as well as a net to replace the basket. The metal rim allowed dunks that would previously cause the baskets to fall. The metal rim was strong enough to hold. -
Glass backboards
In 1909, glass boards became more common. Glass developed into something stiff and heavy which wasn't at this time. At this time the glass boards could still shatter but now days they have developed and are more shatter resistance. Glass boards were better for backboards as they were less affected by ball impact than other boards. -
Open nets
In 1912, nylon nets were created and they were open ended which allowed the game to move faster. This faster game meant that the crowds would enjoy the sport more as they wouldn't have to wait for the ball to be retrieved each time someone made a shot. -
Adidas
In 1920, at the age of 20, Adolf Dassler created the first adidas shoe, still made of rubber. They became more popular amongst players then the original rubber shoes used. -
Converse
In 1923, The first converse basketball shoes were made. Chuck Taylor signature was applied to All-Stars. These shoes in this time were believed to support the ankles of players. They were still made of rubber with parts of leather as the upper parts. -
Basketball adjustments
In 1948, laces went down the wayside of the basketball. In 1949, molded construction and a smaller 30 inch circumference became official. The smaller circumference allowed players to hold the ball more easily and made defence a little harder to snatch the ball. It also meant the ball was able to move slightly quicker. -
Shot clock
In 1954 the shot clock was brought to basketball to stop teams from wasting time in the games and this introduced faster games and allowed buzzer beaters. It allowed crowds to enjoy the games a whole lot more as the games weren't so slow. -
Full-grain leather ball
In 1983, the NBA adopted the first full-grain leather ball developed by spalding. These sorts of spalding basketballs are still used today. They are comfortable in the player's hands and work well on indoor courts. These balls are still used today. -
Air Jordans
In 1984, Jordan shoes were released as he had signed a Nike exclusive shoe deal which was a major thing as this was the first shoe that was named after a sportsman. They were the most popular shoes of this time. the first Air Jordans featured a Nike Air unit for heel cushioning, padded foam ankle collars for additional protection and a toe overlay for added lockdown. These shoes were believed to increase player performance amongst almost every aspect of the game.