There’s a new game in town, and it’s called the Hoop Hall Experience. It’s a touring attraction of exhibits, artifacts and multimedia presentations provided by the Basketball Hall of Fame.  

The HHX, located on the mezzanine at Planet Hollywood on the Las Vegas Strip, is a celebration of players, personalities and stories that have made basketball the internationally popular game it is today.  

The grand opening of HHX was held recently. Several basketball celebrities attended. Two of the sports greats are local Las Vegas residents Jerome “JYD” Williams and Spencer Haywood who both advocate for the sport and education.  

One of the interactive activities at HHX gives visitors the chance to dribble, dunk and dream about being a big basketball star. Other parts of the exhibit show bloopers from broadcasts and film from actual events.  

Among the video presentations is the 1992 Olympic game with top USA “Dream Team” players Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and others who brought home the gold.  

Another presentation pays tribute to the world-famous Harlem Globetrotters — the comedic, skillful, exhibition ball-playing pros and pranksters of the court who are considered basketball’s trademarked “Ambassadors of Goodwill.” They have performed for heads of state and audiences around the globe for more than eight decades.  

President and COO Tony Cherot of the Basketball Hall of Fame’s Hoops Hall experience touring exhibit said, “This exhibit has been well-received since the time we started in Cincinnati.”  

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Mass., honors the legacies and achievements of the greatest players in professional, college and international basketball, including coaches, referees and administrators. It celebrates 50 years of history this year.  

But how did basketball become one of the world’s greatest sports?  

It began Dec. 21, 1891 when physical education instructor Dr. James Naismith, who worked at the YMCA in Springfield, Mass., conceived and idea for a game played by teams, a ball and two baskets.  

Naismith tacked two peach produce baskets onto the balconies at either end of the gym. He then divided his players into two nine-man teams, gave each a soccer ball and directed them to throw it into the basket.  

Thus, basketball was created.  

The game encourages athleticism, teamwork and sportsmanship. An interesting bit of trivia is that basketball was originally played in a cage designed to protect the players from the rowdy crowd. It was constructed using chicken wire and steel mesh. Often, the players would get inured by the cage’s metal when they fell.  

If you ever want to know anything more about basketball, the HHX is definitely a worthwhile exhibit for families to celebrate the great sport. Located right at the HHX, the gift shop carries just about every basketball-related thing you could imagine. Check out the attraction’s website at www.hoophallexperience.com.