It went professional in 1896 in Trenton, New Jersey. The first professional league was formed in 1898.
Before World War I, the Amateur Athletic Union and the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States (forerunner of the National Collegiate Athletic Association) vied for control over the rules for the game. The first professional league, the National Basketball League, was formed in 1898 to protect players from exploitation and to promote a less rough game. This league only lasted five years.
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