Springfield: Where Basketball Became the World’s Game

This Springfield feels empty. Shops close by the afternoon, and at night, you find yourself wondering where all the residents have gone. We got our answer on the second evening of our stay, when we stepped into the crowded MGM Springfield - a casino that feels like it belongs to a different, richer, more vibrant city. And yet, Springfield is written into sports history. This seemingly unremarkable place is where a global spectacle, basketball, was born.

In many ways, Springfield is the complete opposite of what the National Basketball Association (NBA) represents today. There is no glamour, no massive arenas, no sense that this is where a sport followed by millions was created. No spotlights, no VIP boxes, no modern-day euphoria.

And yet, this is where the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame stands - named after James Naismith, the man who, in 1891, placed two peach baskets in a gymnasium in Springfield and wrote down 13 rules of a new game.

The Hall of Fame is a modern structure with a distinctive glass dome overlooking the Connecticut River. Its steel-and-glass construction feels light and open. Inside, everything revolves around a central circular atrium, at the base of which lies a basketball court that adds movement and connects visitors directly to the game itself. Around this core, the museum unfolds, while above it all, the dome is engraved with the names of every inductee.

The exhibition blends museum and arena elements: interactive shooting courts, digital projections, jerseys, and trophies from different eras. The professional era, especially the rise of the NBA, is told through stories of icons like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. A section dedicated to Kobe Bryant is seamlessly integrated into the narrative of the modern NBA, with jerseys, photographs, and video highlights capturing defining moments of his career. There is no separate room, but there is a clear sense of respect in how the story is presented.

What adds another layer, however, is the realization that among the names in the rotunda are those that shaped our own basketball heritage. There is a particular emotional weight in walking through the space, searching for familiar names - and then finding them among the greatest. The Hall of Fame includes Vlade Divac, Radivoj Korać, and Dražen Dalipagić, players who pushed boundaries in their respective eras, as well as coaches Aleksandar Nikolić and Dušan “Duda” Ivković, whose influence shaped generations and defined a style of play. Alongside them stands Borislav Stanković, a man whose contribution off the court may have been even greater, helping transform basketball into a truly global sport. Nearby are the names of Dražen Petrović, Toni Kukoč, Dino Rađa, Krešimir Ćosić, and coach Mirko Novosel - together forming a broader legacy of an extraordinary basketball generation from the former Yugoslavia.

As you move through the museum, historical exhibits are interspersed with life-sized representations of current players. Among them is Nikola Jokić, and just a few steps away, on promotional visuals, Luka Dončić, both almost certain future Hall of Famers.

And then something happens that you can’t plan. You react instinctively. “Nikola!” “Luka!” - you say it out loud before you even realize it, already walking toward them as if they were real. To my travel companions from different parts of the world, the reaction seems charming, but not entirely understandable. And that makes sense. They didn’t grow up celebrating and mourning medals. They didn’t witness Athens 1995 or feel what Barcelona, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Istanbul, Manila, or Paris meant. They didn’t share in the heartbreaks, the controversial calls, or the joy of those unforgettable podium moments. They don’t know what a balcony celebration feels like.

For us, it’s pure emotion.

Standing beneath the glass dome, surrounded by names etched into basketball history and images of those shaping it today, you experience a moment of recognition. As if, in the middle of America, you suddenly come across something that belongs to you.

It becomes a moment of quiet, personal pride. Because we experience basketball success as something shared. In that temple of the game, it becomes clear that part of its global history was written in our region.

A walk through the Hall of Fame reveals that we are not just a footnote in an American story. The former Yugoslavia contributed talent, coaching philosophy, and vision. Basketball may have been born in Springfield, but its character, discipline, and global dimension were shaped here as well.

And under that glass dome in Massachusetts, that connection feels almost tangible - filling you with pride at the realization that our legends are permanently written into the history of the game.

• Written by: Anja Petrović / HEDONIST