There were only six teams in the entire league; the Germantown Nationals, Clover Wheelman and Hancock Athletic Association were from Philadelphia from New Jersey the Camden Electrics, Trenton Nationals and Millville Glass Blowers (Shoals et al., 2010). The first NBL game was played between the Trenton Nationals and the Hancock Athletic Association on December 1, 1898 (Shoals et al., 2010). The Trenton Nationals went on to become the first NBL champions. This small league then went out of existence in 1904 (Shoals et al., 2010).
In 1906, the game was improved greatly, by adding metal hoops, nets, backboards, and a Spalding ball was used instead of the soccer ball (Olympic Movement, 2013). On June 6, 1946 in New York City, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) was founded (Brown, 2007). After merging with the River National Basketball League, the league adopted the name "National Basketball Association (NBA)," in 1949. The American Basketball Association (ABA) was created as an alternative to the NBA. The ABA provided a different game style and some different rules than the NBA. Unlike the NBA, the ABA instituted the three point line which faded away once the ABA faltered in 1961 (Kubatko, 2011). .
The ABA's biggest star was Julius Erving whom played on the Squires and the New York Nets between 1972 and 1976 (Erving, 2014). Erving helped to legitimize the ABA because of how he played. "Erving gave the game a new look with his scoring, use of graceful spins, dramatic jump shots and powerful slam-dunks" (Erving, 2014). When the ABA combined with the NBA to make one big league in 1976, the Nets sold Erving to the Philadelphia 76ers for $3 million (Erving, 2014). .
Unlike the early play of 9 on 9 basketball, the size of the team on the court shrank to 5 on 5. Each player has a different position, point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and the center.
