When you search “What is Indiana famous for” on Google, almost all the results will talk about the state’s love for the game of basketball. It was one of the first states in the US to really adopt the sport; in fact, James Naismith himself said, “Basketball really had its origin in Indiana, which remains the center of the sport”. But how did it gain so much popularity in Indiana early on and why has that same level of adoration remained to this day? We will be discussing all of that and more in the article below.
When Was Basketball Introduced In Indiana?
It is a well-known fact that basketball was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts. Subsequently, it was thought that a reverend named Nicholas McCay brought the sport to Indiana in 1894 after attending the YMCA Training School where Naismith was teaching. However, further research done by the Indiana History Blog suggests that it was introduced a few years earlier.
Naismith had published an article in the Triangle, the YMCA’s national newsletter, in January of 1892 describing how the game was to be played. Technically, any YMCA organization who had access to this newsletter could have learned about the game and introduced it at their facility. The History Blog’s article on the subject brings up a very good point in that it depends on what should be considered the first instance of basketball in the state. Would it be the first practice that was held, the first scrimmage, or the first game between two formal teams? It was identified through analyzing old newspapers that the first documented basketball game played in Indiana was in July of 1892 at Manchester College (now Manchester University) during their school’s field day.
How Many NBA Players are from Indiana?
The fact that basketball had early roots in Indiana can definitely be seen in the NBA, both historically and currently. Dating back to 1947, Indiana has had about 162 athletes play in the NBA/BAA or ABA, 16 of which are active players. Indiana ranks 5th in number of NBA players per 100k residents. The chart below details this.
| State / District | Total # NBA Players | Total Population | # NBA Players per 100k |
| District of Columbia | 76 | 670,050 | 11.34 |
| Mississippi | 93 | 2,949,965 | 3.15 |
| Louisiana | 124 | 4,624,047 | 2.68 |
| Kentucky | 117 | 4,509,394 | 2.59 |
| Indiana | 162 | 6,805,985 | 2.38 |
As you can see, although not a state, Washington D.C. ranks the highest in terms of NBA-player density. The rest are somewhat close, but this is clear evidence that Indiana’s love for basketball has persisted throughout the years.
Indiana also ranks 8th in terms of overall number of NBA players produced. California and New York are the highest, but that comes as no surprise since they are two of the most populous states in the country. We’ve included another chart below showing the top 10 states that have produced the most NBA players (like above, this also includes players from the BAA and ABA that became today’s NBA).
| State | Total # NBA Players |
| California | 434 |
| New York | 426 |
| Illinois | 296 |
| Pennsylvania | 241 |
| Texas | 203 |
| Ohio | 202 |
| Michigan | 166 |
| Indiana | 162 |
| New Jersey | 149 |
| North Carolina | 146 |
To make it to the pro leagues, it is important to provide young players with the best tools and resources necessary to prepare for such a career. Indiana has done just that by investing in large stadiums for their high school players. 8 of the 10 largest high school basketball gymnasiums by seating capacity can be found in Indiana, and 14 of the 16 largest are there as well. Many of these were built decades ago, but have since been renovated and made larger due to high demand. Having these types of resources for young athletes and students to use is a huge factor in preparing for success.
How Did Basketball Become So Popular In Indiana?
According to Census data, Indiana was the 9th-most populous state in the country in 1890. However, what is key to remember here is that Indiana was, and still is, a huge farming state. According to the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, it is he 8th largest farming state in the nation. Additionally, (although 50 years before the inception of basketball) Agriculture was by far the largest profession in the state, with 148,806 workers out of 175,678 operating in the profession in 1840.
What this means is that even though the state had a few million residents at the time basketball came around, many of these people did not live in close proximity to one another. If a farmer has a dozen or so acres of land that he needed to farm, it means that his closest neighbors would be somewhat far away. Trying to coordinate sports where large teams were needed was not feasible given how spread out people were. Additionally, schools were not at all consolidated during this time, making it harder for them to formalize official teams and leagues for any sport. In 1912, the Secretary of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Isaac Neff, even said the following, “Football is all but dead in Indiana… Only 20 of our 250 schools had teams on the field for interscholastic games”. Below, we’ve listed out all of the reasons why we believe basketball thrived in Indiana, while other sports did not:
- It only requires a maximum of 5 people per team to play a full game, whereas baseball and football require more players
- It can be played indoors, and therefore in the Winter, which means it did not interfere with farming
- The space required to play a proper game is significant smaller compared to that of football or baseball
Now, the argument could be made that for larger cities or more densely-populated states, basketball could have succeeded more than it did in Indiana. This is true. However, those places were also diluted with the ability and resources to play other sports, so basketball was less of a focal point. Basketball was arguably the most feasible sport to set up and play for a spread-out farming state like Indiana.
The roots of the sport led to some of the most notable basketball events in history, including the creation of a cult classic movie called Hoosiers, based in part on the journey of the Milan High School’s unlikely state championship victory. You can watch the trailer below.
Another topic worth discussing is the University of Indiana’s basketball team. On top of winning five NCAA Championships, the school brought up some of the NBA’s most prestigious players, including Steve Alford, Isiah Thomas, Scott May, and George McGinnis. We’ve listed all of the school’s notable accolades below.
- 5 NCAA Championships (4th highest)
- 36 NCAA Tournament appearances (6th highest)
- 62 NCAA Tournament victories (6th highest)
- 8 Final Four Appearances (7th highest)
- 1,665 overall victories (11th highest)
- 22 Big Ten Conference Championships
- 60% win rate in Big Ten Conference (1st highest)
With numbers like the ones you see above, it’s no wonder that basketball has maintained such popularity over the years.
Who Are The Notable NBA Players From Indiana?
The impact that the sport’s early adoption had on people can also be seen by the number of NBA legends that were either born and/or raised in the state. We’ve included just a few below.
- Larry Bird
- Oscar Robertson
- Shawn Kemp
- George McGinnis
- Glenn Robinson
- Mike Conley, Jr.
- Gordon Hayward
- Zach Randolph
- Eric Gordon
- Desmond Bane
- Jeff Teague
These players’ careers span many decades, showing how important basketball was, and still is, in the state of Indiana.