中国的篮球运动,是随着基督教青年会在天津的筹建而开始的。清光绪二十一年(1895)十二月八日,来会理召开筹建天津基督教青年会演讲的前后,进行了 “筐 (篮)球游戏”表演。随后,与会听讲的北洋医学堂和北洋西学堂,相继开始了筐 (篮)球游戏。此为篮球运动传入中国的开始。
        转年的夏秋,北洋水师学堂、电报学堂、武备学堂,也相继开展了筐(篮)球游戏。据记载,当时这些高等学堂的学生们,平日举止拘谨,青年会的篮球运动,使他们暂时放下了书生的尊严,恢复了年轻人的活泼本性。为了打篮球,他们修短长长的指甲,脱掉长袍,盘起发辫。
        清光绪二十九年(1903)秋,天津基督教青年会到北洋大学堂、新学书院、工业学堂、高等工业学堂、普通学堂、官立中学堂,伴随着督教青年会的演讲,传播篮球游戏和田径运动。随之,扩展到新学书院、汇文中学、究真中学、官立中学、南开学校、扶轮中学,以及私立第一小学、文昌宫等中、小学校,即开展篮球运动,并组织校级代表队。篮球运动在学校初步形成规模以后,便逐渐扩展到工厂、机关、企业等其他地方。
        天津基督教青年会东马路新会所落成后,建有中国第一个室内篮球场。培养出一批技术较好的运动员。曾与美国、西商等外籍篮球队进行比赛。
        天津各界效仿青年会 “竞技篮球队” 的模式,相继建立了一批自由结合、混和组成的篮球队。据1929年6月《大公报》记载: 当时天津共有黑白、开滦、十手、良友、老龙头等篮球队140多支。当年9月,青年会举行篮球公开赛,共有男女队108个参加,赛期4个多月。在11月份,还举行了首次女子篮球比赛,有6个队参加,竞队(天津最早的女子篮球队,是1918年4月20日～21日组建的直隶第一女子师范学校队)荣获冠军。
        20世纪二三十年代,天津出现了一批优秀篮球队,如新学书院、南开学校的篮球队,代表了当时天津篮球的最高水平。天津篮球队曾经先后6次蝉联全国冠军,声名远闻。特别是 “南开五虎”队,1929年4月,参加在太原举行的华北5届2次球类比赛,荣获大学组冠军;并把4次获得远东运动会篮球冠军的菲律宾队,以及其它一些强队打败,名扬中外。
        China`s basketball sports started with the founding of theYMCA in Tianjin. On December 8,1895,David WillardLyon organized a basketball performance. Spectatorsfrom Beiyang Medical School and Beiyang WesternSchool watched and then took part in the match. Thiswas the beginning of basketball sports in China.
        In the next summer and autumn,the Beiyang NavySchool,the Telegraph School and Military School beganto play basketball one after another. It was reportedthat students were fond of playing basketball. To playbasketball,they cut their long nails,took off the longrobes and coiled their tresses.
        In the autumn of 1903,Gailey,secretary-general of Tianjin YMCA,dispatched severalforeign secretaries of the association to give lecturesin Beiyang University and some other schools topromote basketball,and track and field sports. As aresult,dozens of middle schools and primary schoolsbegan to organize basketball teams. Soon after that,the basketball game became popular in more factories,companies and government agencies in Tianjin.
        The first indoor basketball court was built withinthe Tianjin YMCA`s new chamber at Dongmalu Street.The YMCA member Dong Shouyi,who was active insports,organized a basketball team. The team practisedbasketball on each Tuesday,Thursday and Saturday.Basketball matches were organized between Dong`s teamand some foreign teams in Tianjin. They also playedregular games with "Old Frog Basketball Team" fromBeijing.
        A number of basketball teams were set up inTianjin. According to the Ta Kung Pao newspaper inJune 1929,there were more than 140 basketball teamsin Tianjin,such as Heibai,Kailuan,Shishou,Liangyou,Laolongtou,etc. In September,the YMCA organized anopen basketball match,attracting 108 man or womanteams. The competition lasted four months.
        In 1920s-30s,there were many excellentbasketball teams,which represented the highest levelin Tianjin. These teams were famous for winning thenational championship for six consecutive times. TheNankai Five-Tiger Team was also famous at homeand abroad because it had beaten the Philippine team(four-time champion of the Far East Sports Game) andother strong teams.

        

·1927年南开篮球队 (左后站立者第1人: 章辑五,第2人侯洛荀)