Without question, Hoosiers love the sport of basketball. Travel to any corner of the State of Indiana and you’ll find residents of all ages lacing up their shoes, stepping on courts and spending hours perfecting their basketball skills.
Indiana is renowned as a basketball state and for good reason. Dr. James Naismith invented the game of basketball in 1891 at a YMCA in Springfield, Mass. A man by the name of Dr. Nicholas McKay oversaw the YMCA in Crawfordsville, Ind. and was in Springfield for training. He witnessed the literal birth of basketball.
“When he returned to his post at the YMCA in Crawfordsville, he brought a new sport back with him. That’s a crucial part of the story. A Hoosier helped grow and influence the sport,” said Chris May, executive director of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.
Hoosiers immediately loved the game and May believed it was because of the socioeconomic trends during the 1890s. Indiana was a largely agrarian-based society; much of Indiana was made up of small, rural towns; and many Hoosiers had farms that had lots of space to play the game.
May said you can also play an authentic game of basketball with just one or two people, whereas for baseball, you need 18 people, and for football 22 people. You can also play basketball indoors when it’s cold or outdoors when the weather is nice. Basketball adapted well to Hoosier lifestyle.
“You can go in a barn or gym and somebody would put up a tomato basket and you could shoot hoops. During Indiana’s long, dark winters, this is something fun to do,” said Barbara Olenyik Morrow, author of Hardwood Glory: A life of John Wooden.
She also said basketball was and is a social unifier. In its early days, the sport drew rural residents together and was a reason many came into town to socialize on a Friday or Saturday night.
Morrow said basketball also teaches players teamwork and leadership skills.
Though Indiana has vastly changed since the beginnings of basketball in the state, Hoosiers hold on to their love of the sport. Morrow, a resident of Auburn, Ind., said in years past high school basketball reigned supreme. Make no mistake, spectators continue to pack high school auditoriums. Furthermore the Indiana High School Athletic Association State Finals are played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever.
Only as recent as the 1960s has college basketball become a dominant influence on the sport. Larger colleges like Purdue University and Indiana University have storied basketball traditions, but May said historically, Indiana’s smaller colleges have tremendous traditions.
“It’s no coincidence that Wabash College played in the first intercollegiate basketball game in Indiana history. Wabash played Purdue. And as you know, Wabash is located in Crawfordsville, the birthplace of basketball in Indiana,” said May.
He added that Franklin College in the 1920s had the “The Wonder 5.” That was a group of guys, including Robert “Fuzzy” Vandivier, who played at Franklin High School, went to Franklin College and dominated at the college level. The University of Notre Dame and the University of Evansville are also a part of the collegiate story.
Many of these college basketball stars go on to play professionally. May said it is a researched, statistical fact that Indiana produces, per capita, more professional basketball players than any other state in the country.
This season, turn on any NBA game and you may find a Hoosier. There’s George Hill of the Pacers (Indianapolis); Gordon Hayward of the Utah Jazz (Indy); Cody Zeller of the Charlotte Hornets (Washington); his brother Tyler Zeller playing with the Boston Celtics (Washington); Indianapolis’ Teague brothers Jeff (Atlanta Hawks) and Marquis (Philadelphia 76ers); or Courtney Lee and Mike Conley Jr. who both play for the Memphis Grizzlies.
There are currently four NBA head coaches who are graduates of Indiana High Schools: Greg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs (Merrilville High School); Brad Stevens coaches the Boston Celtics (Zionsville High School); Terry Stotts of the Portland Trailblazers (Bloomington High School North); and Randy Wittman, coach of the Washington Wizards (Ben Davis High School).
“In the case of John Wooden who was born in Martinsville and grew up in Centerton, his dad took a tomato basket nailed it on the wall in the barn. He and his brother shot balls through that. The ball was a pair of his mother’s old pantyhose with rags stuffed inside. He went on to play for Purdue, coached at Indiana State and was a longtime coach at UCLA,” said Morrow.
May said one reason why Hoosiers are so good at basketball is because they take a purist approach to the game. In other states, it could be about who can run the fastest, who can jump the highest or who’s the most athletic. In Indiana, it’s who is the most skilled, who can dribble cleanly, who can shoot purely.
“That’s because of our coaches. Hoosier coaches take basketball seriously,” said May.
Baseball is traditionally known as America’s game and football is slowly taking that moniker. Soccer, golf, tennis and motor sports are also very popular. Despite this, Hoosiers continue to hold basketball close to their hearts.
“People are gravitating toward other sports, but Hoosiers take pride in the tradition of basketball here. Hoosiers would be loathed to walk away from that,” said Morrow. “It’s college basketball tournament time and Indiana’s got five teams playing. We’re loyal to our respective colleges, but if a Hoosier team makes it to the Final Four and wins, some Hoosiers love basketball so much, they’d be happy for any Indiana college winner.”
