Long before lacrosse was popular, Jim Thorpe was photographed playing it with his fellow students at the Carlisle Industrial School in the early 20th century.

Come December, the Native American and the town named in his honor will have their name attached to the sport again.

The Professional Box Lacrosse Association recently announced that its ninth team for its inaugural season will be the “Jim Thorpe All Americans.”

“When we created the PBLA, we kept coming back to our desire to give the greatest American athletes the opportunity to showcase their world-class skills,” said league commissioner Steve Donner. “Jim Thorpe was the first great multi-sport hero who performed on the world stage. He was a Native American as well as the greatest American athlete. We want to showcase the origins of the sport and be a league that has at its foundation, diversity.”

The PBLA season will kick off Dec. 29 when the All-Americans host the Syracuse Spark. Jim Thorpe will play its home games at the PPL Center in Allentown.

Mayor Michael Sofranko said discussions on naming a team after Jim Thorpe started almost a year ago.

“There was a lot of work that went on behind the scenes,” Sofranko said. “We had to get John Thorpe’s permission to use his grandfather’s name, image and likeness. We brought Jim Thorpe National Bank, the Jim Thorpe Sports Hall of Fame and the Jim Thorpe Tourism Agency on Board. I think it’s an exciting day for the town and for the memory of Jim Thorpe.”

The league also announced that its championship trophy will be named the “Jim Thorpe Trophy” in honor of a man many consider to be the greatest American athlete ever. It will be handed out each year during the Jim Thorpe Birthday Celebration.

“Jim Thorpe is, quite literally, the gold standard for athletic achievement,” Carmen Kesner, PBLA chief executive officer said. “At the end of the season, it will take a full team of athletes aspiring to Jim Thorpe’s level of greatness to win our championship trophy bearing his name.”

JTTA President Michael Rivkin called the addition of a professional Jim Thorpe lacrosse team a “feather in the town’s cap.”

“It’s really exciting and we’re super proud to be a part of it,” Rivkin said. “To have the trophy awarded here, we couldn’t ask for anything more.”

The full schedule for the Jim Thorpe All-Americans is available at https://pbla.com/teams/jimthorpe-allamericans. Ticket information will be announced soon.

When the season does get underway, Sofranko has no doubt the local community will rally behind the squad.

“The residents of Jim Thorpe have always been very passionate about honoring Jim Thorpe for his many accomplishments,” he said. “Having a professional sports team based out of our town gives current and future generations even more to cheer about.”

John Thorpe said his grandfather would be thrilled to have a team named in his honor.

“Is there a better way to honor the world’s greatest athlete than with America’s oldest sport?” he said. “I think not.”