Dr. James Naismith and the Invention of Basketball |
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James Naismith found himself in a tough position. He was working with an unruly class of fourteen-year-old boys at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, during a particularly harsh New England winter in 1891. The YMCA director of physical education, Dr. Luther Gulick, gave Naismith an ultimatum: invent an indoor game that could keep the rowdy group of boys occupied for the winter. Gulick gave Naismith fourteen days to implement the game. The Birth of BasketballNaismith's original idea was to make a game in which the only way to advance the ball was to pass it. Furthermore, to score, players would have to lob the ball into a basket that was placed well above the players' heads. Naismith reasoned that these rules would reduce the violence and body contact endemic to games at the time such as soccer, lacrosse, rugby, hockey and football. In the first ever basketball game at the YMCA, the players used a soccer ball. Each team also had nine players on the court at a time. Peach baskets were used as "hoops." Before the game, Naismith etched his immortal "13 rules" on the blackboard. In the original rules, each half was fifteen minutes long and there was a five-minute break between the halves. The rules described the roles of the umpires and referees, fouls, and a description of what constituted "traveling," among others. According to Naismith, the rules governing fouls and traveling were most important as they prevented the boys from tackling, kicking mobbing, and punching each other. In the first basketball game, the concept of dribbling had not been established. The First College GameNaismith's game quickly became popular. The YMCA decided to spread the word about basketball beyond its walls. In 1893, Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tennessee, is thought to have fielded the first college basketball team. Two years later, the first intercollegiate game was played in Minnesota. In the meantime, Naismith earned a medical degree and joined the faculty at the University of Kansas, where he became the Kansas Jayhawks' first basketball coach. Naismith’s record as a coach was a subpar 55 wins to 60 losses, making him, ironically, the only coach with a losing record in the history of Kansas basketball. Naismith LegacyDespite his status as the undisputed inventor of one of the world's most popular sports, Naismith was uninterested in the fame or glory that typically accompany such an invention. In fact, he was more interested in pursuing the science of physical education. By the time he died in 1939, basketball was played throughout the world and was an Olympic event. Naismith was the first inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall-of-Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1959. In 2010, Naismith's document describing the original rules of basketball were auctioned for a record $4,338,000 dollars. It was the highest amount paid for an item of sports memorabilia in history. The rules were donated to the University of Kansas. Today, over 300 million people are thought to participate in basketball, making it one of the world’s most popular team sports. Discussion Questions
James Naismith's ChallengeIn 1891, James Naismith worked at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. He had to find a way to keep a group of rowdy 14-year-old boys busy during the cold winter. His boss gave him 14 days to create a new indoor game. The Birth of BasketballNaismith created a game where players could only pass the ball and had to throw it into a basket placed high up. He hoped this would stop the rough behavior seen in other sports. The first game used a soccer ball and peach baskets. Each team had nine players. There was no dribbling, and the game had 13 basic rules, which included limits on fouls and traveling. College Basketball BeginsBasketball grew quickly in popularity. By 1893, Vanderbilt University had a team, and in 1895, the first college game was played in Minnesota. Naismith later became a coach at the University of Kansas, but he had a losing record of 55 wins and 60 losses—unusual for the school’s basketball history. Naismith's LegacyNaismith was more focused on physical education than becoming famous. By the time he died in 1939, basketball had become an Olympic sport. In 1959, he was honored as the first person inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2010, the original rules he wrote sold for over $4 million and were donated to the University of Kansas. Today, over 300 million people play basketball around the world. |
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