Happy Birthday, Basketball! It’s a day to celebrate hooping at its finest.
Thursday, December 21, 2023, is officially the inaugural World Basketball Day as designated by the United Nations and first proposed by NYU professor David Hollander.
It also makes 132 years since Dr. James Naismith created the game of basketball at Springfield College. A few years later, the first women’s game would be played at Smith College in Northhampton, Massachusetts, quickly becoming a global sensation.
As part of the UN’s efforts to recognize the day, Julius “Dr. J” Erving will lead a discussion in observance. Additionally, the Class of 2024 nominees for the Basketball Hall of Fame will be announced on Thursday in New York City.
(The final Class of 2024 inductees will be announced on Saturday, April 6, 2024, during the NCAA Final Four weekend, with enshrinement on Saturday, August 17, in Springfield, Massachusetts .)
Basketball has blossomed into one of the world’s biggest sports, producing global celebrities like LeBron James, generation talents like Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, and even a song by Kurtis Blow dedicated to how much fans love the sport.
For every hoops fan out there, here’s to the game you love. Cheers!
Happy World Basketball Day 🏀
Today, we celebrate the inaugural World Basketball Day, designated by the United Nations!#WorldBasketballDay pic.twitter.com/FB4bSwt6QT
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) December 21, 2023
