Edwin Bancroft Henderson introduced Washington, D.C. to basketball in 1907, the game was less than 2 decades old. Basketball was largely segregated. He knew that basketball and other sports might open doors that were otherwise closed to his race. In 1904, Henderson helped establish the Interscholastic Athletic Association. The ISAA became the governing body for sports, and basketball was a top priority. Teams playing under the ISAA flourished, and Henderson’s own 12th Street YMCA team went undefeated in 1909-10 earning him the unofficial title of Colored Basketball World Champions. Henderson devoted his entire life to the development, promotion, and improvement of the game of basketball.