中國的籃球運動，是隨著基督教青年會在天津的籌建而開始的。清光緒二十一年(1895)十二月八日，來會理召開籌建天津基督教青年會演講的前后，進行了 “筐 (籃)球游戲”表演。隨后，與會聽講的北洋醫(yī)學(xué)堂和北洋西學(xué)堂，相繼開始了筐 (籃)球游戲。此為籃球運動傳入中國的開始。
轉(zhuǎn)年的夏秋，北洋水師學(xué)堂、電報學(xué)堂、武備學(xué)堂，也相繼開展了筐(籃)球游戲。據(jù)記載，當(dāng)時這些高等學(xué)堂的學(xué)生們，平日舉止拘謹，青年會的籃球運動，使他們暫時放下了書生的尊嚴，恢復(fù)了年輕人的活潑本性。為了打籃球，他們修短長長的指甲，脫掉長袍，盤起發(fā)辮。
清光緒二十九年(1903)秋，天津基督教青年會到北洋大學(xué)堂、新學(xué)書院、工業(yè)學(xué)堂、高等工業(yè)學(xué)堂、普通學(xué)堂、官立中學(xué)堂，伴隨著督教青年會的演講，傳播籃球游戲和田徑運動。隨之，擴展到新學(xué)書院、匯文中學(xué)、究真中學(xué)、官立中學(xué)、南開學(xué)校、扶輪中學(xué)，以及私立第一小學(xué)、文昌宮等中、小學(xué)校，即開展籃球運動，并組織校級代表隊?；@球運動在學(xué)校初步形成規(guī)模以后，便逐漸擴展到工廠、機關(guān)、企業(yè)等其他地方。
天津基督教青年會東馬路新會所落成后，建有中國第一個室內(nèi)籃球場。培養(yǎng)出一批技術(shù)較好的運動員。曾與美國、西商等外籍籃球隊進行比賽。
天津各界效仿青年會 “競技籃球隊” 的模式，相繼建立了一批自由結(jié)合、混和組成的籃球隊。據(jù)1929年6月《大公報》記載： 當(dāng)時天津共有黑白、開灤、十手、良友、老龍頭等籃球隊140多支。當(dāng)年9月，青年會舉行籃球公開賽，共有男女隊108個參加，賽期4個多月。在11月份，還舉行了首次女子籃球比賽，有6個隊參加，競隊(天津最早的女子籃球隊，是1918年4月20日～21日組建的直隸第一女子師范學(xué)校隊)榮獲冠軍。
20世紀二三十年代，天津出現(xiàn)了一批優(yōu)秀籃球隊，如新學(xué)書院、南開學(xué)校的籃球隊，代表了當(dāng)時天津籃球的最高水平。天津籃球隊曾經(jīng)先后6次蟬聯(lián)全國冠軍，聲名遠聞。特別是 “南開五虎”隊，1929年4月，參加在太原舉行的華北5屆2次球類比賽，榮獲大學(xué)組冠軍；并把4次獲得遠東運動會籃球冠軍的菲律賓隊，以及其它一些強隊打敗，名揚中外。
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年南開籃球隊 (左后站立者第1人： 章輯五，第2人侯洛荀)