Santo Domingo – This Sunday, December 21st, the world celebrates a significant milestone: 134 years since the creation of basketball. This sport, born from the vision of Canadian professor James Naismith in 1891, has transcended borders and has become one of the most influential sports disciplines globally.
A game with a story
Basketball, which began as a simple game in a Springfield University gymnasium in Massachusetts, with a soccer ball and two peach baskets, has evolved into a multi-million dollar sports industry. This sport impacts millions of people worldwide, being synonymous with spectacle, human development, and national pride.
Global Expansion of Basketball
From its beginnings, basketball has experienced unstoppable expansion. The creation of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in 1932 marked the beginning of its consolidation as an Olympic sport, being included in the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936.
The growth of basketball is not limited to the United States. European leagues such as Spain’s Liga ACB and the EuroLeague, along with France’s LNB, have raised their competitive level. In Latin America, countries like Argentina, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic have consolidated their local tournaments and national teams.
In Asia, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and the Japanese B.League have gained notoriety. In Africa, the Basketball Africa League (BAL), with the support of the NBA and FIBA, is a clear example of the promising future of this sport on the continent.
Basketball in the Dominican Republic
In the Dominican Republic, basketball has been a driving force for sports and social development. Figures like Al Horford, Karl-Anthony Towns, Francisco García, and Chris Duarte have carried the tricolor flag to the highest level in the NBA and other international leagues.
Over the decades, basketball has gained popularity in countries such as Lithuania, Spain, Argentina, Serbia, Philippines, China, Turkey, and Australia, demonstrating its global reach. Currently, more than 200 national federations are affiliated with FIBA.
The NBA: A Global Phenomenon
The creation of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1946 was a turning point. This league has become the highest standard of professional basketball, giving rise to legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry, and expanding its cultural, economic, and social influence worldwide.
The NBA has grown in global audience and has integrated international players, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Luka Dončić (Slovenia), Joel Embiid (Cameroon) and Nikola Jokić (Serbia), demonstrating that basketball has no borders. More than 25% of active players in the NBA were born outside the U.S.
The Rise of Women’s Leagues
Women’s leagues are reaching a new level of recognition, with players like Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, and Sabrina Ionescu leading a revolution in the WNBA and in international competitions.
3×3 basketball, now an Olympic discipline, has also demonstrated its popularity, attracting new generations and expanding the reach of the discipline. At the national level, basketball continues to grow thanks to the superior tournaments in each province, the formative leagues, the school programs and the institutional impulse of entities such as the Dominican Basketball Federation (FEDOMBAL). The country has participated in several editions of the FIBA World Cup and maintains a competitive place in America.
More than a sport
Basketball is a tool for inclusion, education, and personal growth. It serves as a platform to empower young people, foster teamwork, and develop discipline, opening doors to educational and professional opportunities.
In many countries, basketball has been a way out of vulnerable environments and a meeting point between cultures. Its values —respect, effort, strategy, and solidarity— are applicable to daily life.
Today, as we celebrate 134 years of history, basketball continues to reinvent itself. Technology, artificial intelligence, data analysis, streaming broadcasts, and the focus on women’s development are shaping the future of this sport.
This commemoration honors the evolution of a sport that unites nations, inspires generations, and transforms lives. From the makeshift courts in humble neighborhoods to the great stadiums of the world’s major leagues, basketball keeps bouncing high… and has no ceiling.
