The game of basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith. Originally from Almonte, Ontario, Canada, Dr. James Naismith was born in the year 1861. During school days, he used to play a game called ‘Duck on a Rock’, wherein a duck was placed atop a rock. The thing to attempt was to knock off the duck by throwing another rock at it.
Much later, Dr. Naismith went on to attend the McGill University in Montreal. He later became the Athletic Director at the same University. Later, he moved to the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was here that Dr. Naismith invented the game of basketball in 1891.
Introduction Of The Game
The winters in Massachusetts are usually extremely cold and Dr. Naismith needed to find a recreational activity that could be played indoors. He also wanted that the game eventually develop skill of the players, that is, he wanted something that did not rely entirely on strength. Thus, he invented the game of basketball.
The first basketball game that was played was done with the help of two peach baskets for goals and a soccer ball. Moreover, Naismith had become a medical doctor and had specialised in sports physiology. He had also become a Presbyterian minister. During his lifetime, Dr, Naismith saw the game of basketball, the game that he had invented and was his beloved sport, gain acceptance in various countries since the first game that was played in YMCA in 1893. Basketball, as a sport, was introduced into the Olympics at Berlin in 1936. Over the years, this game has gained a lot popularity and now it is a professional sport that is played all over the world.
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