Who Invented NBA Basketball?
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The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the premier professional basketball league in the United States and Canada. Who invented it?
Dr. James Naismith
James Naismith was a Canadian physical education instructor who, while working at the YMCA International Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, invented the game of basketball in 1891.
Born in 1861 in Almonte, Ontario, Canada
Dr. James Naismith was born in 1861 in Almonte, Ontario, Canada. The son of a Scottish immigrant, he was raised on a farm and attended grade school in a one-room schoolhouse. He went on to earn degrees from McGill University, Yale Divinity School, and Springfield College (then the YMCA International Training School).
In 1891, while working as a physical education instructor at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, Naismith was tasked with finding an indoor game that could be played during the cold New England winters. He came up with the game of basketball and developed the original 13 rules of the game.
Basketball quickly became popular and by 1896 was being played at colleges and universities across the United States. In 1904, when basketball made its debut as an official sport at the Summer Olympics in St. Louis, Missouri, nine teams from across the globe competed. The United States won the gold medal that year and has gone on to dominate Olympic basketball, winning 15 of 20 gold medals since basketball became an official Olympic sport.
In 1936, Naismith traveled to Berlin, Germany to witness first-hand as basketball made its Olympic debut. That same year he was inducted into both the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (named in his honor). He died in 1939 at the age of 78.
Created the game of basketball in 1891
Inventor of Basketball
Dr. James Naismith was born in 1861 in Ramsay township, near Almonte, Ontario. He was the eldest son of Scottish immigrants. When he was nine his family moved to Bennie’s Corners, now known as Grenville. In 1883, he entered McGill University in Montreal on a Presbyterian Church scholarship to study physical education under Dr. George Beers. Naismith graduated in 1886 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and the Governor General’s Gold Medal as top student in his class.
Died in 1939
James Naismith, Canadian-American sports coach, inventor of the game of basketball, and founder of the University of Kansas basketball program.
Naismith was born in 1861 in Almonte, Ontario, of Scottish descent. He was raised on a farm, and as a boy he excelled in lacrosse, rugby, and snowshoeing. When he was 10 years old, his family moved to Bennie’s Corners near Kingston, Ontario, where he attended high school. In 1879 he entered McGill University in Montreal on a lacrosse scholarship; there he also played football (soccer) and rugby.5 feet 10 inches (1.78 metres) tall and weighing 200 pounds (91 kg), Naismith was an outstanding athlete.
During his senior year at McGill Naismith played centre on the varsity lacrosse team that won the Canadian championship; in addition, he helped the McGill Rugby Football Club win two Dominion championships (1883 and 1884). He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1887 and subsequently studied at Presbyterian College in Montreal and at Springfield College (then known as the YMCA International Training School) in Massachusetts.
Other contributors to the game of basketball
Before there was an NBA, there was just basketball. The game was invented in 1891 by a Canadian physical education teacher named James Naismith. Naismith was looking for a game that could be played indoors during the winter. He came up with the idea of a game involving a ball and two goals.
Dr. Luther Halsey Gulick
Invented the sport of basketball while working as the YMCA’s director in Springfield, Massachusetts. Dr. Gulick’s goal was to create an indoor sport that would provide an athletic outlet for YMCA members during the long New England winters. He designed a game that could be played by young men of all backgrounds and skill levels, and in December 1891, basketball was born.
Walter Camp
Walter Camp, who is sometimes referred to as the ” Father of American Football,” was an important figure in the development of the sport of basketball. He is credited with creating the rules of play that are still used today, including the 10-second rule and the restriction of dribbling to only one bouncing of the ball. He also established the first set of downs and created a scrimmage line to replace what was previously a free-for-all melee.
