The Creator of Basketball: James Naismith

728 Words2 Pages

James Naismith is the creator of basketball. Basketball is now a very popular sport. James Naismith accomplished many things in his life. But, the biggest by far is the creation of basketball.
James Naismith created basketball while he was a physical education teacher a t the YMCA. He was challenged to make an indoor game for cold Canadian winters in which outdoor games could not be played. While James Naismith was in the process of making his game he observed other sports to take good qualities from those sports. After two weeks of working on his sport he was finally finished. The game was quickly enjoyed by many physical education students at the YMCA. The first game was played with two peach baskets and a soccer ball. The main object was to score more baskets than your opponent by the end of the game. Originally the game was played with fifteen minute halves and a break in between. Now a day’s different organizations do different times and set ups. For example the NBA plays four twelve minute quarters with a break at the half but on the other hand the NCAA plays two twenty minute halves. But, this is not the only way the game evolved after 10 years a backboard came into play a wooden board the sat behind the hoop with the opponent could bounce they shots against to get a basket for their team. Shortly after that the basketball net was invented. It was used so that the ball could go through the hoop and at the same time slow down the shot so that the ball didn’t fly too far away. Before the use of the net every time a basket was made the opposing team would have to climb up and get the ball down.
James Naismith also had 13 original rules.
“1. The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.
2. The ball may be b...

... middle of paper ...

...ith was a doctor he received his degree from the University of Kansas. James Naismith was also the head coach of KU; surprisingly he had the only losing record in KU history. The NCAA actually gives out a Naismith award to the best of the college players at the end of every season. Naismith was honored in many ways and is still remembered to this day “Some of the great names in basketball history were in the house, among them Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and the man who mentored them at UCLA, John Wooden. None carried the weight of Naismith” (http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/james-naismith
). This shows how people still remember James Naismith.
In conclusion Dr. James A. Naismith was a great man with a wonderful invention. His invention is a game that millions of people all over the world enjoy. Although is not still with us he legacy will live forever.

More about The Creator of Basketball: James Naismith

Open Document