Cages to Jump Shots: Pro Basketball's Early Years

by Robert W. Peterson

Book Overview

Basketball is now over a century old. Cages to Jump Shots offers an unforgettable glimpse of its exciting and eccentric early years, beginning in 1891 when James Naismith drew up the first rules, through decades of growing popularity and professionalism, and culminating with its fundamental transformation in the 1950s, when the twenty-four-second shot clock and team foul limit were instituted. Along the way we learn about all those who were...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0803287720
• ISBN13: 9780803287723
• Release Date: March 2002
• Publisher: Bison Books
• Length: 226 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.4" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Solid History of Early Basketball

A year ago I went to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA and was disappointed that the gift/bookstore did not have a single history of early ball. I returned to the new Hall of Fame (a must see by the way) last month and found this paperback reprint of a book that appeared about ten years ago. Peterson's book is a well researched, well written history of pro basketball from the 1890's to about 1950. While baseball has dozens of books written about its early years, basketball has, other than this one,none that I could find. This one is very satisfying, and provides a good roadmap for hopefully even more books about the early years and teams, which Peterson shows are filled with colorful characters and great scenes from American life. If you like basketball, you ought to know about its history, and this is a good (and-other than visting the Hall of Fame-practically the only) place to start.