OR

source:media.spokesman.com
06 Nov, 1861
28 Nov, 1939
Brain hemorrhage
Canadian, American
Physical educator
78
James Naismith (1861–1939) was a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, and sports innovator who is credited with inventing the game of basketball. James Naismith was born on Nov. 6, 1861, in Almonte, Ontario, Canada, and had a difficult upbringing. His uncle cared for him after he lost his parents at the age of 9. Through all of this, he did well in school and excelled at sports, laying the groundwork for his life thereafter.
Naismith graduated from McGill University in Montreal, with a degree in physical education. While at McGill, he was an outstanding all-around athlete and a star in football, lacrosse, and gymnastics. Later, he did post-graduate work in theology at Presbyterian College because he wanted to marry physical education with the ministry as a means of producing “moral and physically whole people.”
Naismith, then an instructor at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, was hired in 1891 to devise a new indoor sport. The students needed to stay active and competitive during the long cold winter months. “We needed to reduce physical contact, we wanted it to be easy to pick up, and of course, it needed cooperation,” he explained. He invented basketball based on a childhood game called “duck on a rock.” That initial match used a soccer ball and two peach baskets hung from the balcony of a gym as goals. Naismith set up 13 simple rules for the game, many of which are still at the heart of basketball today.
The first YMCA ball courts were built, and the game soon spread to other YMCAs throughout the U.S. and eventually elsewhere in the world. In the early 20th century, basketball began to organize as a sport, with leagues instituting among colleges and high schools. Naismith, to his credit, created a game that acted as a vehicle for promoting physical fitness and discipline, in keeping with the spirit of his original sport, which was intended to merge moral education with physical activity.
Naismith was hired as the first basketball coach in 1898 at the University of Kansas, where he would help to shape and popularize the game. However, competitive coaching never really was his thing. Even though he started some of the most successful college basketball programs in history, his primary focus remained on teaching opportunities rather than competition.
Outside of basketball, Naismith was especially focused on health and wellness. He graduated with his medical degree from Gross Medical College in Denver and subsequently worked as a physical education professor at several schools. He served as a consultant for the U.S. Army to encourage physical conditioning in soldiers during World War I.
Naismith became a U.S. citizen in 1925 and lived to see basketball’s ascent around the world and its debut as an official Olympic sport in 1936. He achieved national prominence for his contributions to sport and education and was, after his death, elected to several sports halls of fame.
James Naismith died on November 28, 1939, in Lawrence, Kansas, but his legacy lives on and extends well beyond the sports world. Basketball is now a worldwide sport, and that was his brilliant idea through all his dedication to physical education. His dream has inspired millions, and his legacy of innovation will never die.
James Naismith:
James Naismith
Male
Brain hemorrhage
Almonte, Ontario, Canada
Lawrence, Kansas, United States
Naismith lived long enough to see basketball become an official Olympic sport at the 1936 Berlin Games. He was honored at the event, which solidified basketball’s status as a global sport.
Naismith used peach baskets as goals in the first games of basketball. Since the baskets didn’t have holes, someone had to climb a ladder to retrieve the ball after each score.
The first set of basketball rules, written by Naismith, consisted of only 13 basic principles. Many of these rules, like dribbling and shooting into a hoop, still form the foundation of the game today.
Naismith was given only 14 days by his supervisor to create a new indoor game for students during the winter. His quick thinking and creativity led to the creation of basketball, with its first game played in December 1891.
Despite inventing one of the world’s most popular sports, Naismith never sought to patent the game or profit from it. He believed it was a gift to society and wanted it to be freely enjoyed by all.
First basketball rule book author
Invented basketball in 1891.
Legacy as the “Father of Basketball”
Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame (1959)