The first BASKETBALL MUSEUM in the country is located where basketball was played for the first time, in 1919, when YMCA brought the sport to the country and promoted it. The Museum was founded in 2013, in the framework of the program “Youth Mobilization – Cultural Heritage and Athletic Valorization” with the acronym “ΥMC (H) A” as part of the cross-border funding program “Greece – Bulgaria, 2007-2013”. In October 2019, it was expanded with a new wing, through the new INTERREG programming period “Greece – Bulgaria, 2014-2020”.
The overall objective of the YMCA Basketball Museum is to highlight and promote the role of YMCA in the development and dissemination of sports education in Greece. Its goal is for visitors to get to know the history and the most important moments of the sport in Greece.
On the ground floor the Museum hosts a number of historical sports items of basketball important for the sports history as well as the social history of Thessaloniki. The main goal is the collection and promotion of the history of the sport, giving emphasis to YMCA, which introduced basketball in Greece. In this context, the collection consists of personal belongings of athletes and professionals who contributed to the diffusion and development of the sport, souvenirs, medals and diplomas won by the YMCA teams, equipment of the old open air court, sportswear and additional documentation material that highlights the history of the sport.
The new wing of the museum is dedicated to the National Basketball Team of Greece, as well as to the history and activities of the important entities of Greek Basketball. Through exhibits such as the jerseys of important players of the National Team over the years, medals, tickets, historical match balls signed by the players and collectible souvenirs, a historical review of the most important moments in the course of the National Team is narrated. In addition, through the museum’s rich collection of collectibles from international events, teams, clubs, federations, coaches, referees and players, visitors have the opportunity to get in touch with the sport of basketball around the world.
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