Abstract:
Rough House is a rare glimpse of the turbulent world of professional basketball played in Westfield, Massachusetts, during the early 20th century. Often overlooked by historians of the game, this era of the pioneer leagues is considered the forefather of the NBA, played in small towns and cities located on train routes throughout the Northeast United States. This was professional basketball when the game was played in wire cages, small courts, rugby scrums and fisticuffs with no backboards, back-court violations, shot clocks or seven-foot giants. This is required reading for the modern day “cager.”