Who Invented Basketball? | Wonderopolis
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Who invented basketball?When was the first basketball game played?How many rules did the first game of basketball have?
Dr. James Naismith was a Canadian
instructor who invented the game of basketball in 1891 while working at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts.Dr. Naismith had been challenged to create a new game that could be played indoors in the cold Massachusetts winters to provide an “athletic " to a
group of students. With a two-week deadline, Dr. Naismith decided to invent a game of skill,
and , rather than one that relied on pure strength.He was inspired by a game he had played as a child called “duck on a rock," in which players
a small rock at a "duck" placed on top of a large rock in an attempt to knock the "duck" off.Using a soccer ball, two peach baskets placed 10 feet up in the air, nine players on each team and a set of 13 basic rules, Dr. Naismith invented the game of “basket ball." The first game was played on December 21, 1891.Initially, players could only advance the ball by passing it. Bouncing the ball along the floor — what we call "dribbling" today — did not become part of the game until later.Players earned points by successfully tossing the soccer ball into the peach baskets. After each basket that was made, players had to climb a ladder to retrieve the ball from the basket. Iron hoops with open-ended nets didn't come along until 1913!Interesting basketball facts:Dr. Naismith was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959. The Basketball Hall of Fame is now called the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.The first college basketball game was played on January 18, 1896, when the University of Iowa hosted a game with the University of Chicago. The final score was: Chicago 15, Iowa 12.U.S. patent #1,718,305 was granted to G.L. Pierce on June 25, 1929, for the first version of what we now recognize as the "basketball."“March Madness" began in 1939, when the first NCAA tournament took place at the University of Illinois.Basketball became an official Olympic sport at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany.
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When Dr. Naismith invented the game of basketball, he came up with an
for the game. Why do you think rules are necessary in sports and other areas of life? What would happen if we didn't have rules?What sports do you like to play? Have you ever thought about what types of sports people in other parts of the world play? Learn about .If you're up for a challenge, try to dream up a brand-new game of your own. What's the name of your new game? Is it a team game like soccer or an individual game like tennis? What type of ball is used? Is the game played indoors, outdoors or both? What does the field look like? How do you score points? How many players can play?Exercise your imagination. The sky's the limit. You never know when you might come up with the next great idea in sports!Devise a set of rules for your new game. If you want, paint or draw a picture that explains your new game. If you'd like to share it with us, we'd love to see it! Just
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Wonder Words
I believe that the bottoms were cut out of the baskets to speed up the game. Obviously after the first college game.
That's interesting, Glen! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! :)
I can't believe that they didn't score very high! 15-12 is a really low scoring game!
1st of all they only had 1 period and 2nd there were only one point shots
Thanks for letting us know more about the game, Max! We think that's impressive! :)
Hi, Ais! That is a low scoring game! There must have been very good defense! :)
What that is beast I never knew that
We're glad you learned something new, KD! Visit again soon! :)
Basketball is really fun! I liked how you guys took your time on the story!
I was thinking the same thing.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Kim! We hope you continue WONDERing with us! :)
Thanks for the feedback, Alyssa! We appreciate you stopping by Wonderopolis! :)
Hi, tyrone! We're glad you're WONDERing! Thanks for visiting! :)
Thanks for joining the discussion, Kaytlyn! We're sure tyrone appreciates the AWESOME shout out! :)
Basketball is one of the best sports ever and awesome Wonderopolis guys
We're glad you joined the conversation, Matthew! Do you have a favorite team? :)
Yes and it is sadly the Knicks
Thanks for sharing, Matthew! They are a very popular team! :)
invented basketball was
Dr. JAMES NAISMITH in Sprinfield,Massachusetts New England
That's right, alliah! Thanks for sharing what you learned! Always keep WONDERing! :)
I been playing for so many years now, i've been on more than ten basketball teams and as of now I play AAU basketball. This sport was the best sport ever invented.
Thanks for sharing your connection, tyree! Sounds like you know a lot about basketball! :)
This is my first year playing basketball
Awesome, Kaleb! We hope you're having a GREAT season! We encourage you to share this Wonder with your teammates! :)
i played basketball for 2 years and this is my 2nd year playing so play basketball
Hi, Makayla! Basketball is a lot of fun! We hope you share this Wonder with some of your teammates! :)
i didn't know that the nets were closed and the had to get on ladders to get the ball
Hi, Joey! We're glad you learned something new about the history of basketball! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)
Cool! Im in a basketball team call sonic ohhh albert love WONDERing
That's AWESOME, albert! Thanks for sharing your connection! :)
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How do i do this it is so hard i got three papers and i need more information
Hi, Bob! Thanks for stopping by Wonderopolis to find more information for your papers. We hope this Wonder was helpful! Just take it one piece at a time! :)
I like basketball but my favorite sport is football but i learned about basketball
Hi, darias! Football is a GREAT sport, too! We're glad you learned new information about basketball! :)
I like how I learned a lot about basketballs history and all of the dates. I like how I learned a lot about Dr James Naismith and his history. I love basketball so I love how you gave specific details. I was shocked how low score there was in the first college game. How long did it take for basketball to go world wide?
That hurts because it is so well described
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I like the
because it told a lot of information about basketball like Dr. James Naismith got the idea of the sport by a game called Duck On a Rock. I know more about basketball because I never knew Dr. James Naismith invented the sport basketball. Why was the first collage basketball game have so low scoring? Why did they not have the idea to cut a whole in the basket until 1913?
Hi, Henry! We're glad you're still WONDERing! We hope you keep researching about the history of basketball at your library and online. Thanks for sharing what you learned! :)
this is so awesome
Hi, Sean! We're EXCITED to hear you're having fun WONDERing! It's GREAT when we're learning and having fun at the same time! :)
I like basketball but my favorite sport is football and this is a good website to learn so things
Welcome, Anthony! We're glad you're having fun exploring Wonderopolis! Football is a fun sport, too! :)
I love basketball
That's GREAT, Caleb! It's a fun sport. Many Wonder Friends agree! :)
Interesting to know how it all began I love the sport nice info
We're THRILLED you had fun reading this Wonder, Caleb! We thought is was interesting, too! :)
now basketball is my favorite sport.
I can't believe you couldn't dribble.
We like basketball, too, Cadence! Thanks for sharing what you learned! :)
I love basketball it is my favorite sport. I learned a lot about it that i didn't know.
That's WONDERful, Anthony! We're glad you learned something new! Use the search box to find more Wonders about basketball! :)
It should definitly be a lot longer! I wanna learn about who invented basketball and not to be mean or anything but I didn't learn anything about who invented basketball. I think instead of all the questions replace it with really cool facts and more information about him.
yeah true I need 3 more facts about James
Thanks for the feedback, Hailey! It's our hope that the Wonders simply get you started WONDERing and learning. Then you continue to learn more on your own at the library and online. Always keep WONDERing! :)
I wish this wonder was longer
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I am writing a short report for a high school internal assessment and I need the date this was posted and the full name of the person(s) who wrote and gathered information for this article
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due to living in New Zealand the standard requirements are different. I showed my teacher your answer and it was not enough to fit the requirements of my bibliography so can you please supply me with the date this was posted and the full name of the person(s) who wrote and gathered information for this article
Thanks for checking back again, sam! We would suggest using the National Center for Families Learning as the author and today's date. We hope this helps! :)
wow i didnt know that he invented basketball thats just so cool!
Hi, sierra! We're THRILLED to hear you liked this Wonder and learned something new. We love your enthusiasm for learning. Keep up the WONDERful work! :)
basket ball is my fav sport and I play year round
me to i love it and i play every year
That's GREAT, kelsey! Sounds like lots of fun! Great exercise, too! We encourage you to use the search feature towards the top of the page and search for additional basketball Wonders. Have fun! :)
Hi, WONDER friend! Basketball is an AWESOME sport. Playing year-round must be a lot of fun! Here's another Wonder about basketball for your to explore - . Have fun WONDERing! :)
That's really cool. I wonder if he created any other sports. Can you please do wonders on other sports like soccer or football
i love basketball cause im a baller named quan
Hi, quan! Thanks for joining the discussion! Basketball is a FUN sport. We hope you liked this Wonder! :)
You're in luck, Camila! To learn more about soccer check out Wonder #16: How Old Is Soccer (). There are also WONDERS about football - Wonder #126: What's So Super About Super Bowl Sunday () and Wonder #336: Are Footballs Really Made Of Pigskin? (). Keep up the great WONDERing! :)
I very much enjoy basketball and I thought this WONDER was an amazing choice
to do a WONDER on! I love basketball and this taught me a lot of things about basketball, well who made up the sport of basketball. I enjoyed this WONDER very much and I think anyone should try it! One last thing is do you have any WONDER on skiing? Thanks!
Hello, Julia! We love your enthusiasm about learning! WONDERing is a WONDERful way to learn more. Here is a WONDER about skiing we hope you enjoy!
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i think this is awesome website
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every day! Always keep WONDERing! :)
Basketball is amazing!!!
nice story
Thanks for joining the discussion, justin! We're THRILLED you liked this Wonder! :)
We agree, tori! Do you play basketball? We encourage you to also check out . Happy WONDERing! :)
Hi, Kevin22! We like basketball, too.
Check out . Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)
did the first basketball look like
football????
Great question, reiley gordon! You could suggest that for a future Wonder of the Day.
Just click on "". You could also do more research at your library.
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I was intrested in basketball because I am starting and I wanted to know more.I wanted know if Dr.Naismith had a parterner or somebody that helped him?
We are glad you found this WONDER interesting, makenzie! We like to play basketball too.
Maybe you could do more research about basketball and Dr. Naismith.
You might be able to find a book at your library. Then you could write a biography about him. We think you might enjoy these WONDERS about basketball and biographies!
Enjoy WONDERing! :)
I am doing research on basket ball and I learned a lot of new facts thanks
Glad we could help, Jaedyn!
Happy WONDERing and good luck on your research! :)
Why was James Naismith in Massachusettes not Canada?
Great WONDER, Coleton!
James Naismith was born in Canada, but moved to the US.
While he lived in the US, he worked at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts.
During this time, in 1891, he invented basketball.
Super cool! :) Thanks for commenting!
your the best because you get us more game time like10 min becausei love basketball its in my heart!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow! We bet you're pretty excited when March Madness comes around, huh, Nate? Basketball is really fun to play and watch! :)
isn't basketball a lot of fun, HALEY S?
i love basket ball im short i can dunk.on a small goal im in the nba ,basket ball is soo fun
Thanks for sharing your comment with us, Nate! We bet you're a great team player in basketball! :)
What an interesting story.Who came up with the word basketball .I LOVE BASKETBALL IT IS MY FAVORITE SPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Isn't basketball a lot of fun, Haley S? We think Dr. Naismith probably came up with the name basketball since he used two peach baskets as the goals. Thanks for WONDERing with us! :)
I'm afraid this is incorrect, in matter of fact Luther Gulick, Naismiths assistant, was the one who invented basketball.
Thanks for your notice, Dylan. Dr. Luther Gulick did play a critical role in the invention of basketball. As the leader of the Springfield YMCA, it was Gulick who gave James Naismith the assignment of developing a game that would keep athletes active during the harsh Massachusetts winters. The game Naismith came up with was basketball. So, while basketball may not have been invented without Gulick, it was Naismith who actually invented the game. Thanks for WONDERing with us!
Everyone loves basketball!!:-)
We agree, TJ! It is a fun sport to watch and play! Thanks for WONDERing with us today! :-)
I really enjoyed this wonder! :-)
WONDERful, Alyssa! We are happy to have you WONDERing with us today! :-)
I like basketball because I am really tall and I am good at layups and shooting is my favorite part of basketball. But my favorite part of basketball is point guard because when your team brings it up, you can get the ball every time, but the hard thing about being a point guard is you have to trick your guy that you are guarding, and if you get past him you can do a layup and score a point.That is how to play basketball. Remember basketball is COOL.
Wow, Brandon! You sure do know a lot about basketball! You may be interested in some of our other Wonders about sports:
Enjoy, Wonder Friend! :-)
I love basketball, because I am really tall. I can block a ball and I am really good at defense and offence.
WONDERful, Brandon! We think you would make an awesome basketball player! Keep WONDERing! :-)
Was the first game long?
Great question, Wonder Friend Eli! While we are not certain how long the first game of basketball was, we bet it took longer to retrieve the ball than it does today. The very first hoops were made of big peach baskets... but after a basket was scored, a player would have to climb up to the top of the basket and grab the ball. We bet it took a long time to put the ball back in play! :)
Why are basketballs orange?
At the first basketball game, were there "Ball Boys", designated ladder climbers to retrieve the ball, or did the players still do it?
Good morning, Mrs. Melder's Class! What a great question! Back in the day, the players were responsible for getting their own ball after they made the basket. Ball boys and ball girls were not officially used until the 1920s at tennis matches! The early basketball players must have been excellent climbers! :)
I love basketball nobody really knows who made it just like who invented school. I think both inventions are very good and both can be fun if you actually try your hardest. I love this website and the cool questions I haven't really thought about :)
Cameron, it's so great that you've been thinking about your favorite sport-- basketball! We Wonder if you have any other favorite topics to Wonder about? We've got lots of Wonders to share! :)
Man I really liked this article, and I LOVE
basketball.
Keep on shooting Wonderopolis.
Thanks so much for telling us how much you enjoyed this Wonder, Ryk! We Wonder if you play basketball? We have to go practice our layups now... we are glad you're WONDERing with us today! :)
Best sport ever other then football and I've been wondering who came up with it.
We think basketball is FUN to play, too, Leo!
Have you visited these other FUN Wonders of the Day about sports?
We think you will really like them!
Wonders from our SPORTS category:
http://wonderopolis.org/category/sports/
Can you do one on Carmelo Anthony?? I really do love him!
Thanks for sharing your comment, Tammy! We LOVE when our Wonder Friends share their very own W perhaps you can write a biography for Carmelo Anthony! You can create a Wonder of your own! Check out this slam dunk of a Wonder: #183- What is a Slam Dunk?
http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-is-a-slam-dunk/ :)
Awesome, I never knew that.
How fun, Bill, you learn something new everyday! Do you have a favorite sport or hobby? :)
I LLLOVVVEE basketball and i have been playing for 3 years and I love KTC basketball
That's great, Basketball lover! Thanks for sharing your comment and WONDERing about your favorite sport, too! :)
I can't believe
Dr. Naismith invented basketball!
I wonder what bad things the class did?
P.S. I like to play basketball.
Isn't it cool to imagine inventing a sport of your own, Joe? We think about how restless we can be when we don't get any exercise or time to play at recess, so we bet those students had a lot of energy! We sure are glad that basketball was invented! :)
Hi Wonderopolis. Is lob the same thing as a shot? Also were you able to dribble the ball when he made the game?
I can't believe that he made the game of basketball in 2 weeks! I can't think that they used to have 13 rules! Now they have like 100. Making the rules must have been a real conundrum.
Thanks for the wonder
Hey Jackson, we're glad you're WONDERing about the AWESOME sport of basketball! We bet you can do some research of your own about the history of the game, including what the very first basketball looked like! We hope you have a SUPER day, Wonder Friend! :)
I play basketball for the best school in the world, Fort Loudon Middle School. Yes, maybe we lose some, but I love this school and basketball is the best sport in the world.
Thanks so much for sharing your love of basketball with everyone in Wonderopolis, Kendra!
We bet it's FUN to watch (and play in) the games at Fort Loudon Middle School!
SO COOL I have always been a huge fan of basketball plus I have played for two years so to find out who invented my favorite sport in the world is really neat thanks for letting me WONDER with you guys today.
WOHOO, we're glad that this Wonder was a three-pointer in your book, Nakia! We bet it takes a lot of practice and hard work to play basketball, but we're glad to hear you really enjoy playing! We Wonder what your favorite thing you learned today was? :)
How can you hate basketball it's soooooo good.
Hi there, Raymond, thanks for sharing your comment today! We bet you are an enthusiastic basketball player and spectator-- basketball games are fun to watch! We want to respect everyone's opinions and thoughts, not only at Wonderopolis, but each and every day. Sometimes we might enjoy something (like a sport) that someone else does not like as much. However, that's okay! We can all learn something new together-- and maybe we will be interested enough to try out a new sport, activity or hobby! Thanks for sharing your exciting comment about your love for basketball-- we are giving you a virtual high five! :)
I like basketball it is fun and I'm really good at it. Do you know how old is basketball and how old is the man who invented? It was the man famo did he play with a real basketball?
WOW, you've been doing a GREAT job of WONDERing about basketball, Odie! We will give you a hint from the Wonder...
"Dr. James Naismith was a Canadian physical education instructor who invented the game of basketball in 1891 while working at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts."
We bet you can find the rest of your answers in our basketball Wonder... keep up the great work! :)
I hate basketball!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(TOO)
I dislike basketball too
Hi, jack! We respect everyone's opinion and we appreciate you sharing your opinion with us. Luckily, there are more than 1,400 other
on WONDERopolis and a new every day. We are sure you can find one you like better! Always keep WONDERing! :)
I love basketball!
We do too, Brandon! Thanks for WONDERing with us! :-)
Thanks for sharing your opinion about basketball, Me2!
We appreciate your comment!
I HATE BASKETBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why do u hate bball?
Thanks for joining the conversation, Alyssa! Everyone likes different hobbies, sports, and games! :)
why do u hate
We're super sorry you feel that way about basketball, "Me," but we appreciate your comment.
There are lots of fun things about basketball!
You can learn a new sport, play on a team, get exercise, and enjoy fun times with your friends!
It caught my eye. I was wondering who invented basketball.
It was interesting that he did invent basketball.
Can you do wonders on other sports, cause I'm wondering.
Hello, Keyvette!
We're so glad you stopped by this Wonder of the Day(R) today and learned some new things about basketball!
We have LOTS of Wonders about SPORTS!
You can explore them by clicking on this link that will take you right to the Sports Category here on Wonderopolis:
http://wonderopolis.org/category/sports/.
Happy WONDERing!
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