“Today marks 163 years since the birth of the man who invented basketball. Thank you, Dr. James Naismith.”
With this message on social media, FIBA paid tribute to the Canadian-American physical educator, known as the “father” of basketball. Born on this day in 1861 in Almonte, Ontario, Canada, he later moved to the United States, where he acquired American citizenship.
Recognising the need for indoor exercise due to the harsh winter conditions in Massachusetts, where he worked as a physical education instructor at the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), he proposed a new game that combined elements from popular sports at the time, including rugby, baseball, football, and hockey.
In December 1891, the first game of this new sport took place with teams of nine players each. They used a football and aimed to score by placing it in two fruit baskets nailed to the walls at either end of the gymnasium. The rest is history.
James Naismith passed away on 18 November 1939.
Source: ANA-MPA
