The Creator of Basketball: James Naismith

728 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: History And Development Of Basketball

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.

Show More
Related

  • How Earl Lloyd Changed Basketball History

    553 Words  | 2 Pages

    Earl Lloyd was probably the most courageous player of all time. Some people know him as “The Big Cat” others know him as the first African-American to play in an NBA basketball game with the whites; he changed the way people think and look at basketball and black players and coaches. Earl Lloyd loved basketball from a very young age. Earl had two brothers older than him which was Earnest and Theodore. Earl was very dedicated from a very young age. With his high school team he took them to a state championship and won. After high school Earl went off and took his talents to West Virginia State College. While Earl was there his sophomore year they went 33-0 which is a perfect season. Earl’s team won back to back CIAA conference championships and tournament championships.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Be Like Mike

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    It was not just his basketball skills that made him an iconic figure, it was his aura. The bald head, baggy shorts, and signature shoes distinguished him from other sports figures.

    Read More

  • How To Play Basketball: The History Of Basketball

    1390 Words  | 3 Pages

    Basketball has been around for a long while. It was first established in 1891 by James Naismith. James Naismith was once the basketball coach at Kansas University. When he invented the sport he used a peach basket as the goal. When it first originated every time they would score they’d be required to call the janitor out with a ladder to get the ball down. After a few months they cut the bottoms of the basket out.

    Read More

  • Wilt Chamberlain's Role In The NBA

    346 Words  | 1 Pages

    He was the most dominating force the sport has ever seen, perhaps any sport has ever seen, a colossus whose impact is felt to this day. He was the most unbelievable center to ever play the game in terms of domination and intimidation. There's no one that ever played the game better than Wilt Chamberlain. "This was a man for all the ages."

    Read More

  • Michael Jordan Comparison

    688 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...MVP twice, NBA Rookie of the Year, NBA scoring champion, All-NBA First Team six times, All-NBA Second Team twice, NBA All-Defensive First Team 4 times, NBA All-Rookie First Team, 2012 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year, 2012 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, Cleveland Cavaliers all-time leading scorer, Naismith Prep Player of the Year 2013, and USA Mr. Basketball for two consecutive years.

    Read More

  • Michael Jordan Retirement

    443 Words  | 1 Pages

    Jordan's importance to the game of Basketball and the Sports Industry in general is extremely significant. Michael Jordan single-handedly shaped and molded the Chicago Bulls into a winning organization. Jordan’s legacy will forever live on as, the most popular, successful, and greatest NBA player of all time. He has done all of this in his lifetime, while dealing with constant adversity, his life experiences have helped mold him into a humble man, who is constantly chasing greatness in everything he

    Read More

  • Women's Basketball: The Evolution Of Basketball

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    Basketball was invented in 1891, womens basketball started less than a year later. A gymnastics instructor, Senda Bernson Abbott, adapted Dr.James Naismith’s basketball rules and introduced the game at Smith College. The first

    Read More

  • An Essay On The History Of Basketball

    1729 Words  | 4 Pages

    Basketball originated in 1891 when future Presbyterian minister named James Naismith (1861-1939) was assigned to teach a P.E. class at Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) training school in Springfield, Massachusetts. The class had been noted for being disorderly, and Naismith was told to invent a new game to keep the young men occupied. Since it was winter and very cold outside, the game had to be played indoors was desirable. Naismith had a flashback to his childhood in Canada, where he and his friends had played "duck on a rock,”. The game involved trying to knock a large rock off a boulder by throwing smaller rocks at it. He also recalled watching rugby players toss a ball into a box in a gym. He had the idea to nail up boxes and the players would attempt to throw a ball. When he couldn't find boxes he used peach baskets. According to Alexander Wolff, in his book 100 Years of Hoops, Naismith drew up the rules for the new game in "about an hour." Most of them still apply in some form of todays. Basketball was a simple game that could be played indoors during winter. Naismith spread the rules freely, and there was a need for Naismith's legacy included the first great college basketball coach, Forrest "Phog" Allen (1885-1974), who played for Naismith at the University of Kansas and went on to win 771 games as a coa...

    Read More

  • Basketball

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    On November 6, 1861 the great James Naismith was born in Ontario, Canada to Mr. and Mrs. John and Margaret Naismith. As a child James wasn’t very successful in school but excelled in physical activates, this triggered him to drop out of school and become a lumberjack. Soon after this he realized that he needed to turn his life around, so he went back to school to receive a degree in physical education. He later earned a job at a local YMCA in Springfield and was immediately put in task of finding a way to keep men in shape during the winter seasons. After many unsuccessful attempts he finally decided on a sport in which the players must throw a soccer ball into a peach basket on either side of the gymnasium. So on December 21, 1891 the newly formed game known as basketball had its first official game, the final score 1-0. As time passed different basketball leagues were formed the Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by owners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. In 1949 the BAA joined another basketball league, the NBL, to create the currant league, the NBA. The NBA was a great success with many people. This success would led it to what it is today, a multi-billion dollar association known for consisting in a wide variety of elite athletes.

    Read More

  • Basketball As A Discourse Community In High School Basketball

    1288 Words  | 3 Pages

    Basketball is defined as a game where two teams of five play each on a rectangular court, usually indoors (Basketball/Sport). Basketball was invented by James Naismith on December 1, 1891 (Basketball/Sport). The object of basketball is to shoot the basketball through the opposing team’s basket and to out-score them by end of the regulation time limit. If the score is tied at this time, the game will go into overtime until one team wins. While reading about basketball, I found it interesting that when the sport was invented they would nail baskets to balconies with no backboards. This made it easy for spectators (in the balcony) to help their team by either swatting the

    Read More

  • Basketball

    985 Words  | 2 Pages

    The game of basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith, on December 14, 1891, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Naismith wanted to find a sport that would keep the

    Read More

  • Michael Jordan: Beyond Personal Glory

    2127 Words  | 5 Pages

    Michael Jordan is the only athlete to have ever gained the middle name "Air" because of his unbelievable ability to soar through the sky before he smashes the ball through the rim. He has managed to defy all obstacles ever thrown his way within the sport of basketball, earning his reputation as the most competitive and determined player in the NBA. Over the span of Michael Jordan's 18 year long career in the NBA, he has enjoyed world wide attention and recognition as the ambassador of basketball. Jordan has influenced basketball players around the globe and, with his own shoes and clothing brand, along with his artistic way of handling himself on the court, has developed a style of his own within the sport. Michael Jordan can be considered the foremost leader of the enlightenment in the sport of basketball.

    Read More

  • Essay On Basketball Then And Now

    1085 Words  | 3 Pages

    Although many sports are not considered American-made, basketball is one of the few that began in America. In fact it is the only major sport that can be considered American-made (Encyclopedia.com, Basketball). The inventor of basketball was Dr. James Naismith, who created the sport in 1891(History.com Staff, NBA is Born). This was all the way back when there were only forty-four states(nbahoopsonline.com, NBA History). He made the sport in Springfield, Massachusetts(History.com Staff, NBA is Born). Naismith invented this sport because he was P.E. teacher seeking a sport with limited physical contact, but it contained running, jumping, shooting, and hand-eye coordination(Encyclopedia.com, Basketball). The game first used peach baskets and a soccer like ball(History.com Staff,

    Read More

  • Essay On Michael Jordan

    1244 Words  | 3 Pages

    ​Michael Jordan is considered, by many, to be the greatest basketball player of all-time. However many do not know who he is as a person, or what he has contributed to basketball. Michael Jordan may be the greatest basketball player of all-time, but he is much more than a basketball player. He has contributed to many different charities, he was a baseball player, and he is a golfer. He is a champion off the court just as much as he was on the court to many people who receive donations from him. Jordan was a champion on the basketball court, but he is still a champion in the hearts of many off the court.

    Read More

  • Michael Jordan Role Model

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1981, Michael Jordan stepped foot on North Carolina’s campus as a top-recruited freshman and was soon to be one of only four freshmen to ever earn a starting spot under Coach Dean Smith. The University of North Carolina was where Michael Jordan’s legacy started, and as of now, it will not end anytime soon. In his playing days, Michael was a second overall draft pick, Nike client, six-time NBA champ, six-time NBA finals MVP, five-time NBA MVP, and a fourteen-time all-star. After his playing days were over, Jordan’s impact on the game and on the fans never died. He is a role model to many people, spanning all generations from old to young.

    Read More

More about The Creator of Basketball: James Naismith

Open Document