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H
ow
B
asketball
S
pread
A
round
the
W
orld
A
fter Naismith’s invention of the game, basketball not only spread across America;
it also spread across the oceans, while at the same time it traveled south, down
into Central and South America. Wherever it went, it continued to build bridges.
Basketball wasn’t just a fun, exciting game; it was something that united people around
the world.
The YMCA, the organization James Naismith worked for, was international; there were
Ys all over the world, and YMCA workers carried the new game to all the countries where
their organization was active. Basketball spread first to Naismith’s home country, Canada.
Then YMCA members from England brought the game home with them after a visit to
Canada in 1892. Next, thanks again to YMCA members, the first basketball game was
played in France in 1893. The following year, again thanks to the YMCA, basketball was
played for the first time in China, India, Japan, and Iran. In 1909, YMCA basketball play-
ers traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia, for the very first international match.
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