Frank J. Basloe, a longtime basketball executive and promoter, is set to be inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame, a recognition that reflects decades of work preserving the game’s early history.
His 1975 book, *I Grew Up With Basketball*, chronicles the sport’s roots in the Mohawk Valley and has become a touchstone for scholars seeking to trace the game’s American origins.
Beyond writing, Basloe ran the Basloe Globetrotters, a traveling team that brought basketball to communities across the Northeast during the sport’s formative years.
The upcoming ceremony will also spotlight a contentious claim: Basloe has long argued that Lambert Will, a local inventor from Herkimer, was the true pioneer of basketball, a theory that challenges the traditional narrative centered on James Naismith.
A contested legacy
While the Hall of Fame’s decision honors Basloe’s contributions, it also raises questions about how history is recorded and who gets to shape the narrative of a sport that has become a global phenomenon.
CBS6’s recent documentary, *Shooting Their Shot: Herkimer’s Fight for History*, revisits this debate, exploring the evidence and the community’s push to rewrite the record.
The induction event, scheduled for later this month, will bring together former players, historians, and fans to celebrate not only Basloe’s career but also the broader story of basketball’s spread from upstate New York to the world.