Sport
James Naismith
Inventor of basketball
Born 1861 · Died 1939
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain
«I am sure that no man can derive more pleasure from money or power than I do from seeing a pair of basketball goals in some out of the way place.»
James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 to give students an indoor game for the winter, writing thirteen rules and nailing two peach baskets to a gymnasium balcony. The sport now has hundreds of millions of players.
Key achievements
- Invented basketball in 1891 with thirteen rules
- Saw his game enter the Olympics in 1936
Universities
Montreal, Quebec
Took a degree in physical education in 1888, having also studied theology, and served as athletics director.
Facts
- The first games used an actual peach basket, and someone had to climb a ladder to retrieve the ball after every score.
- He was given fourteen days to invent an indoor game that would not break the gymnasium windows.
- He lived to see basketball played at the 1936 Olympics and threw the ceremonial first ball.
Photographs
Photographs come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are shown on each image.