The first official basketball game was played in the YMCA gymnasium in Albany,New York on January 20,1982 with nine players.The game ended at 1-0.In the past basketballs were brown but later on were changed to a lighter orange.The basketball association of America (BAA) was formed in 1946,in 1949 the BAA merged with the National Basketball League to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).Women's National Basketball Association(WNBA)began in 1997.After WWII basketball became very popular in the U.S,especially in high school and college.