The First Team
Inducted:
1959
Players
Lyman Walker Archibald
Franklin Everts Barnes
Wilbert Franklin Carey
William Richmond Chase
William Henry Davis
George Edward Day
Benjamin Snell French
Henry Gelan
Ernest Gotthold Hildner
Genzabaro Sadakni Ishikawa
Raymond Pimlott Kaighn
Donald Freas
Eugene Samuel Libby
Finlay Grant MacDonald
Frank Hoyt Mahan
Thomas Duncan Patton
Edwin Pakenham Ruggles
John George Thompson
George Radford Weller
The First Team holds a unique place in basketball history as the first group of players ever to play the sport. Formed during a physical education class at the Springfield YMCA in Massachusetts, the team played the first basketball game on December 21, 1891, under the direction of basketball's inventor, James Naismith. The class consisted of 18 students, divided into two teams of nine. The historic game ended 1–0, with William R. Chase scoring the only basket.
The players initially focused on individual skills, but quickly learned that teamwork was essential, helping establish the basic principles of organized basketball. The First Team's historic game marked the beginning of a sport that would eventually spread throughout the United States and around the world. The group was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959, as part of the inaugural Hall of Fame class.
The First Team's Awards and Honors
- First team in basketball history
- Played the first official game of basketball
- Established the earliest organized example of basketball teamwork
- Part of the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame class
- Played under the original rules created by James Naismith
Team Stats
Founded:
1891
Venue:
Springfield YMCA
Founder/Instructor:
James Naismith
Original Players:
18
Players Per Side:
9
First Game:
December 21, 1891
Final Score:
1–0
Scorer:
William Chase