Ayrton Oneill
Basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 at a Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Springfield, Massachusetts. The sport quickly became popular, especially among Jewish communities in the Northeast, where it served as a means of assimilation into American culture. Jews were crucial to the development of college and professional basketball during the first half of the 20th century, with Jewish basketball teams being all the rage in the early 1920s. While there are few Jewish players in the NBA today, basketball was once considered a Jewish sport, with Jews holding key positions in the league's administration and ownership.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of invention | 1891 |
| Inventor | Dr. James Naismith |
| Place of invention | Springfield, Massachusetts |
| Reason for invention | To engage phys-ed students in a confined indoor space during winter |
| Early adopters | Urban, immigrant communities of the Northeast |
| Jewish involvement | Jews were crucial to the development of college and professional basketball in the first half of the 20th century |
| Notable Jewish players | Lennie Rosenbluth, Art Heyman, Ossie Schectman, Sonny Hertzberg, Adolph Schayes |
| Notable Jewish coaches and owners | Larry Brown, David Stern, Mark Cuban, Ernie Grunfeld, Arnold "Red" Auerbach, Eddie Gottlieb, Dolph Schayes |
| Cultural significance | Basketball was a way for Jewish youth to assimilate into American culture |
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What You'll Learn
- Basketball was a way for Jewish youth to assimilate into American culture
- Jews were crucial to the development of college and professional basketball, as players, coaches, and owners
- Discrimination and quotas limited Jewish participation in basketball
- Jews pioneered organised basketball in the United States
- Jews dominated the NBA's early years as players, coaches, and owners
Basketball was a way for Jewish youth to assimilate into American culture
Basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 at a Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Springfield, Massachusetts. The game quickly spread across the country and became especially popular in urban areas, where many Jewish immigrants had settled. Basketball's accessibility and low barrier to entry made it a popular pastime for Jewish youth, who embraced the sport as a way to assimilate into American culture.
During the early 20th century, basketball was often played in settlement houses and community centers, such as the Young Men's Hebrew Associations (YMHA), which were established by the Jewish community in response to discrimination and exclusion in other athletic facilities. These community-based teams became a way for Jewish youth to engage with broader American culture while still remaining within the familiar confines of their ethnic communities.
The popularity of basketball among Jewish youth in urban areas, particularly in New York City, contributed to its spread and influence on the sport's development. By the 1920s, Jewish basketball teams had gained prominence across the country, and Jewish players were making their mark in college and professional basketball. During this time, basketball was seen as a sport at which Jews excel, and it became an important avenue for Jewish Americans to pursue athletic scholarships, upward mobility, and professional careers.
The impact of Jewish Americans in basketball extended beyond the court. They held key positions in the league's administration, with figures like Maurice Podoloff serving as the NBA's first president, and Arnold "Red" Auerbach and Eddie Gottlieb becoming some of the league's first Jewish coaches. Jewish ownership of NBA teams is also significant, with at least a dozen of the league's 30 teams currently owned by Jews.
While the presence of Jewish players in the NBA has diminished over time, the sport continues to hold cultural significance for Jewish Americans. Basketball provided a pathway for Jewish youth to integrate into American society while also fostering a sense of community and belonging within their own ethnic groups.
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Jews were crucial to the development of college and professional basketball, as players, coaches, and owners
Basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 at a Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Springfield, Massachusetts. The game quickly spread across the country and became popular among urban, immigrant communities in the Northeast, including Jewish communities. During the Progressive Era, basketball became especially popular among Jewish youth in urban areas, who played in settlement houses and at communal institutions.
In the early 20th century, Jewish basketball teams were all the rage, and Jews were a substantial part of the population in the country's big cities, which supplied many of the National Basketball Association's early players. Jews were crucial to the development of college and professional basketball as players, coaches, and owners. They played a significant role in the popularization and growth of the sport during the first half of the 20th century.
In 1934, a game between New York University (NYU) and the City College of New York (CCNY) showcased the talent of Jewish basketball players, with nine of the 10 starters being Jewish. NYU's team included Sidney "Sonny" Hertzberg, who played in the first game in the history of the National Basketball Association, and Nathan "Naf" Militzok. Jews also excelled in basketball at the college level, with NYU reaching the NCAA final with the help of Dolph Schayes, who went on to have a successful professional career.
Jewish players often faced discrimination and were not always welcome in athletics outside of their communities. Despite this, they persevered and broke through, with several Jewish players making it to the top of the game in the 1950s and 1960s, such as Lennie Rosenbluth and Art Heyman. Jews also took on important roles as coaches and owners, with Arnold "Red" Auerbach and Eddie Gottlieb becoming the first Jewish coaches in the NBA and Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, NBA commissioner David Stern, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban being prominent figures in the sport.
While the number of Jewish players in the NBA has decreased, the community continues to have a presence in the league through coaches, owners, and executives.
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Discrimination and quotas limited Jewish participation in basketball
The 1920s saw a rise in anti-Jewish sentiment and attacks. During this time, Harvard University's president, Abbott Lawrence Lowell, openly declared the need for quotas on Jewish students, citing their lack of "fit-in" within the university's athletic culture. Other prestigious universities, including Columbia, Yale, and Syracuse, also considered implementing similar quotas. Yale University alumni, however, pushed back against these discriminatory practices, recognising the need to include Jewish basketball players to field a winning team.
The implementation of quotas was not unique to Harvard. McGill University in Canada had a longstanding quota, officially adopted in 1920, which remained in place until the late 1960s. In Germany, numerus clausus resolutions were enacted in 1929, limiting the admission of German non-Aryans, which effectively targeted German Jews. Similar discriminatory policies were also enforced in Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union, impacting Jewish students' access to education and, by extension, their participation in sports like basketball.
The existence of quotas and discriminatory practices in higher education and athletics limited opportunities for Jewish basketball players and contributed to their decline in the sport. Despite these challenges, some Jewish players, such as Lennie Rosenbluth and Art Heyman, continued to excel in basketball into the 1950s and 1960s.
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Jews pioneered organised basketball in the United States
Basketball was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith at a Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Springfield, Massachusetts. However, Jews played a crucial role in the development of college and professional basketball during the first half of the 20th century. Basketball quickly became a popular sport among Jewish youth in urban areas, particularly in settlement houses and communal institutions.
As Jews immigrated to the United States and settled in cities like Boston, Cleveland, Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York, they embraced basketball as a way to assimilate into American culture. Basketball was an ideal sport for Jewish communities as it was relatively easy to learn, inexpensive, and could be played in confined spaces.
Jewish basketball teams became popular across the country in the early 20th century, with all-Jewish teams forming in various cities. These teams grew out of ethnic communities and provided a way for Jewish youth to become American while still maintaining their cultural identity. The game's fundamentals of quick passing and constant movement aligned with the style of play favoured by Jewish players, who often had access to smaller gyms and courts.
Jewish players faced discrimination and institutional antisemitism in athletics outside of their communities. However, they excelled in basketball and held key positions in the league's administration. Notable Jewish figures in basketball include Ossie Schectman, who scored the first basket in NBA history, Dolph Schayes, one of the top 50 all-time NBA players, and coaches Arnold "Red" Auerbach and Eddie Gottlieb, both inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
While the number of Jewish players in the NBA declined over time, Jews continued to hold influential positions as coaches, general managers, and owners. Today, a significant number of NBA teams have Jewish ownership, and the league's former commissioner, David Stern, is also Jewish. The story of Jews in basketball reflects their larger journey and assimilation into American society during the 20th century.
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Jews dominated the NBA's early years as players, coaches, and owners
Basketball was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith at a Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Springfield, Massachusetts. However, the sport quickly spread across the nation and became especially popular among urban, immigrant communities in the Northeast, including Jewish communities. In the early 20th century, basketball was a popular sport among Jewish youth in cities like New York, where many Jews had settled.
Jewish basketball teams were all the rage in the early 20th century, and Jews played a crucial role in the development of college and professional basketball during this time. They often played at YMHAs, synagogues, and community centers, and formed all-Jewish teams within their ethnic communities. Basketball was a way for Jewish children to assimilate and become American on their own terms. The popularity of the sport among Jews helped it spread across the nation, with Jewish players, coaches, and owners playing a vital role in the formation of the NBA.
One notable example of Jewish dominance in the early years of the NBA was the game between New York University (NYU) and the City College of New York (CCNY) on March 3, 1934. The game attracted widespread interest, with nine out of the ten starters being Jewish. The following season, promoters began a series of doubleheaders at Madison Square Garden, turning New York City into the center of the basketball world. The success of this game and the subsequent series reflected the peak of Jewish prominence in basketball.
Jewish players, coaches, and owners continued to influence the sport in the following decades. Notable figures include Nat Holman, a central figure in the history of basketball who played for and coached the Original Celtics, a former settlement house team, and later coached at CCNY. Red Holzman, who played for Holman at CCNY and went on to coach the Lakers. Ossie Schectman, who scored the first basket in the NBA and played for the New York Knicks. Eddie Gottlieb, who founded the Philadelphia Warriors, one of the first NBA teams, and was one of the original NBA owners. And Jerry Fleishman, who played for the Philadelphia Sphas, the Philadelphia Warriors, and the New York Knicks.
Since the early 1970s, Jews have been primarily coaches, general managers, and owners in college and professional basketball, rather than players. Notable figures from this era include Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown, NBA commissioner David Stern, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, and Washington Wizards general manager and former player Ernie Grunfeld.
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Frequently asked questions
No, basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 at a Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA).
Basketball was once considered a Jewish sport. In the early 20th century, Jewish basketball teams were all the rage. Jews were crucial to the development of college and professional basketball during the first half of the 20th century, with many Jewish players in the 1920s through the 1950s.
Basketball was a relatively easy and inexpensive sport that did not require much space or equipment. It was ideal for urban, immigrant communities in the Northeast, like those where many Jews lived. Basketball also provided a means of upward mobility for the native-born sons of New York's immigrant Jews through athletic scholarships.
Jews have held prominent positions in basketball, both as players and administrators. Ossie Schectman scored the first basket in the NBA, and Adolph Schayes is considered one of the greatest Jewish players in NBA history. Jews have also been coaches, general managers, and owners of basketball teams. Some notable Jewish coaches include Arnold "Red" Auerbach, Eddie Gottlieb, and Larry Brown. David Stern and Adam Silver have served as commissioners of the NBA, and there are currently at least a dozen Jewish owners of NBA teams.
