Where was basketball invented?

How basketball travelled from Massachusetts to Kansas

Basketball creator James Naismith first invented the game of basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts and later brought it to Kansas as a coach.

He invented the game because he was a gym teacher, and he needed something for his students to do when the weather was not suitable for safe outdoor sporting events.

He originally invented the game in 1891, when he put peach baskets about 10 feet above the ground- the same height as they are now.

Find out about this early version of basketball, and how Naismith is still celebrated today.

The first basketball game

The rules of basketball have evolved over the last decade. There were originally only 13 rules, and the game technically had one contest where the rules hadn’t even been made up yet!

The most interesting rules, compared to today’s game, were that the ball could be caught or batted but never punched.

Additionally, a player could not run with the ball and must get rid of it from the spot where it was caught.

If one team created three fouls without the other team getting one, then the non-fouling team got a field goal.

While this isn’t the complete list of original rules, these examples are some of the most interesting from when the game first started.

As to what happened in the first game, it was a brawl, right in the middle of a Physical Education class taught at Springfield College by Naismith.

Modern rules of the game

Since the game of basketball started, those original rules have evolved. While the first rule is pretty much in full force still, all the other rules have changed.

For example, when it comes to a player catching the ball, they can travel with it as long as they are dribbling the ball on the ground.

If one team creates three consecutive fouls, the other team does not get a field goal anymore.

However, depending on the level of play, usually after five or six fouls one team starts shooting free throws.

In college, if two players get tied up with the ball, then whichever team got the last out of bounds possession, it will go the opposite way. 

The number of players in each game has also evolved. Since Naismith’s gym classes contained 18 students, this made it 9 on 9 with no substitutes.

The game eventually got paired down to what it is today, and most regulation basketball leagues are 5 on 5.

Another difference is the amount of striking, pushing or holding. To some degree, these things are allowed- although today’s game is becoming stricter than in previous decades.

Basketball travels to Kansas

As well as inventing the game, Naismith was also the first person to ever coach basketball in Kansas.

In fact, the basketball court for the University of Kansas, Jayhawks basketball team, has James Naismith’s name on it. In addition, the basketball Hall of Fame is named after Naismith, and it is located in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The Hall of Fame contains some of the greatest players and most historical figures in the United States. It opened in 1959 and it still enjoys popularity today.

Naismith first brought basketball to Kansas between 1898-1908. Interestingly, despite being the game’s inventor, he is actually the only coach with a losing record at the University of Kansas basketball programme.

This is where he concluded his career at a 55-60 clip.

He also coached numerous players over the course of his career, including Phog Allen, Naismith’s successor, who eventually became known as “the father of basketball coaching.”

The evolution of basketball

While Naismith’s coaching career didn’t amount to much in terms of wins and losses, his invention had much different results!

It only took 45 years from the invention of his game for basketball to be elevated to the Olympic stage, where it is still played to this day.

For decades, the Olympics games often consisted of amateur players, but that evolved once again in 1992.

Basketball players from the National Basketball Association were allowed to play, and the US was able to form a team.

This has been coined the “Dream Team”, due to the fact that it has several players who are considered to be some of the greatest in the history of basketball.

This team includes Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isaiah Thomas and other well-known names.