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On this episode of Our American Stories, basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, but its beginnings might surprise you. Paul Putz, author of The Spirit of the Game: American Christianity and Big-Time Sports, explains how the game was first created with a Christian mission in mind and eventually grew into a global phenomenon.

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The Origins of Basketball and Its Surprising Christian Roots

Our American Stories

The Origins of Basketball and Its Surprising Christian Roots