Twenty Years of Barnstorming with Basketball Legends

In Herkimer, New York, Frank J. Basloe had a childhood surrounded by basketball, thanks to YMCA director Lambert Will, who was responsible for developing the game. Basloe's memoir, "I Grew Up with Basketball," provides a unique perspective on the origins of professional basketball today.

Starting at the young age of sixteen, Basloe ventured into the world of basketball as a promoter, managing various teams that traveled across New York, New England, and the Midwest. His teams, such as the Oswego Indians and Basloe's Globe Trotters, dominated the barnstorming scene until the 1920s when new clubs like the New York Original Celtics, New York Renaissance, and Harlem Globetrotters emerged.

"I Grew Up with Basketball" is not only a captivating memoir but also a source of debate regarding the true origins of the game. While James Naismith is credited with the original concept, Basloe highlights Will's contributions in making the game more dynamic and enjoyable while setting early rules of play. This contradicts the conventional history presented by the Hall of Fame.

The firsthand account of basketball's early days in Basloe's memoir is complemented by an introduction from Michael A. Antonucci, which traces the evolution of the game as both a sport and a business vehicle, from Basloe's Globe Trotters to modern-day stars like LeBron James.

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