Amanda Knapp
Basketball is widely believed to have been invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts. However, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests the sport may have been invented a year earlier in Herkimer, a small town in upstate New York, by a 16-year-old Austrian-American boy named Lambert Will. The debate over basketball's origins is not just about historical accuracy but also about honouring the contributions of a small town and its people, who may have played a pivotal role in shaping a global phenomenon.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official story of basketball invention | Dr. James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield, Mass., in 1891 |
| Alternative story of basketball invention | Basketball was invented in Herkimer, NY by Lambert Will in 1890 |
| Evidence for alternative story | Over 500 documents, a 1952 book by Frank J. Basloe, an 1898 article from the Syracuse Herald, a 1940 article in Little Falls, a 1952 speech in Cooperstown, NY, and recent research |
| Supporters of the alternative story | Scott Flansburg, the "Human Calculator", the Herkimer 9 Foundation, the NYS Assembly Legislative Resolution #1052, and the Washington Post |
| Goal of supporters | To revitalize Herkimer with a basketball-related museum, a basketball-related events center, and a pavilion topped with the world's largest basketball |
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What You'll Learn
- The 'Human Calculator' Scott Flansburg claims Herkimer, NY is the birthplace of basketball
- Frank J. Basloe's book supports the Herkimer origin theory
- Lambert Will, a 16-year-old Austrian-American, is credited with inventing basketball in Herkimer
- The New York State Assembly passed a resolution recognising Herkimer as the birthplace of basketball
- The official story credits Dr. James Naismith with inventing basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts
The 'Human Calculator' Scott Flansburg claims Herkimer, NY is the birthplace of basketball
The Human Calculator, Scott Flansburg, believes that his hometown of Herkimer, NY, is the birthplace of basketball. Flansburg, a mathematical savant, left Herkimer to gain fame for his ability to process numbers at breathtaking speed. He has since returned to his childhood home to champion what he believes is his hometown's rightful place in sports history.
Flansburg's claim contradicts the official story that Dr. James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891. However, Flansburg argues that basketball was invented a year earlier in Herkimer by a teenager tossing cabbages into a basket. This teenager has been identified as Lambert Will, a 16-year-old first-generation Austrian-American boy who was a volunteer director of the local YMCA.
The book "I Grew Up With Basketball" by Frank J. Basloe, first published in 1952, supports Flansburg's claim. According to Basloe, Will invented basketball while tossing cabbages into peach baskets, and the first basketball game was played in Herkimer. Flansburg and his group, the Herkimer 9 Foundation, have assembled a team of local leaders and hired a forensic and research team to gather evidence. They claim to have over 500 documents that show how Herkimer invented and innovated basketball.
The Herkimer 9 Foundation aims to revitalize the town by building a basketball-related museum, an athletics complex, an events center, and the world's largest basketball. They also plan to create a STEAM learning and business development center to give back to the community. Flansburg hopes to bring fun and economic growth back to Herkimer, transforming it into a basketball hub.
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Frank J. Basloe's book supports the Herkimer origin theory
The official story is that Dr. James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891. However, Frank J. Basloe's book, 'I Grew Up With Basketball', published in 1952, claims that the game was invented a year earlier in Herkimer, New York. Basloe's book credits Lambert Will, a 16-year-old first-generation Austrian-American boy, as the true inventor of basketball. Will was a volunteer director of the local YMCA in Herkimer and, according to Basloe, came up with the idea for the game while tossing cabbages into peach baskets in a root cellar and later at a local general store.
Basloe's book provides evidence that basketball was played in Herkimer as early as 1891, a year before the first recorded game in Springfield. This includes an old sepia photograph of a Herkimer basketball team with "91-92" scratched into the ball, suggesting the team was playing during the same winter that Naismith was said to have invented the game. Basloe also reported that Will had created the sport's first rim, backboard, and net, which was sewn by his mother.
The book further credits Will with devising many of the rules of the game, including the opening jump ball, after receiving a rudimentary pamphlet from Naismith through the YMCA network in 1890. Basloe's account is supported by an 1898 article from the Syracuse Herald, which reported on the success of Herkimer's early basketball team, stating that they had been playing since the fall of 1891. Additionally, a 1940 article in the neighboring town of Little Falls noted a celebration of the 50th anniversary of basketball with Will as grand chairman.
The research and development of Basloe's book provide compelling evidence that basketball may have originated in Herkimer, New York, rather than Springfield, Massachusetts, as commonly believed. The book's publication led to a heated debate in the 1950s between proponents of Dr. Naismith and those of Lambert Will. Unfortunately, the Naismith side ultimately won out, and the Dr. James Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame opened in Springfield in 1959, with no mention of Herkimer, Lambert Will, or the debate surrounding the invention of basketball.
Today, the Herkimer 9 Foundation continues to work towards securing Herkimer's place in basketball history and promoting the Lambert Will narrative. Their efforts have led to Lambert Will's posthumous induction into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame, recognizing his contributions to the sport.
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Lambert Will, a 16-year-old Austrian-American, is credited with inventing basketball in Herkimer
The official story is that Dr. James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891. However, there are claims that Lambert Will, a 16-year-old Austrian-American, invented basketball in Herkimer, New York, a year earlier. Will is said to have invented the game while tossing cabbages into peach baskets in a root cellar and later at a local general store.
This narrative is supported by Frank J. Basloe's book, 'I Grew Up With Basketball', which was first published in 1952. Basloe credits Will, who was a volunteer director of the local YMCA in Herkimer, with devising many of the rules of the game, including the opening jump ball. Basloe also reports that Will said he was "not looking for any glory" for his contribution to basketball and that he was "thankful to think a head of cabbage gave so many people and [himself] a great deal of pleasure."
In 2019, Scott Flansburg, a Herkimer native known as the "Human Calculator", discovered Basloe's book and became convinced that Herkimer was the true birthplace of basketball. Flansburg and his group, which includes successful business owners and dignitaries, have assembled over 500 documents that they believe prove Herkimer's role in the invention of basketball.
The New York State Assembly passed Legislative Resolution #1052 in 2022, which officially acknowledges Herkimer as the birthplace of basketball and Lambert Will as the game's inventor. The resolution also recognizes the Mohawk Valley as the game's principal influence in its initial adoption. The Herkimer 9 Foundation, a non-profit entity, has been working to secure Herkimer's rightful place in basketball history and promote the Lambert Will narrative.
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The New York State Assembly passed a resolution recognising Herkimer as the birthplace of basketball
The New York State Assembly passed a resolution recognizing Herkimer as the birthplace of basketball, a claim that has been disputed for decades. The resolution, Legislative Resolution #1052, was passed on June 1, 2022, and it officially acknowledges Herkimer, New York, as the birthplace of basketball, Lambert Will as the game's inventor, and the Mohawk Valley as the game's principal influence in its initial adoption.
The official story is that basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891 at the Springfield YMCA in Massachusetts. However, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests the game may have been invented earlier in Herkimer, New York. This alternative narrative is supported by Scott Flansburg, a Herkimer native known as the "Human Calculator", who has spent years researching and championing Herkimer's claim to basketball history.
According to this narrative, a 16-year-old Austrian-American boy named Lambert Will invented basketball in 1890, a year before Naismith, by tossing cabbages into peach baskets in a root cellar and later at a local general store. Will is also credited with creating the first rim, backboard, and net, as well as devising many of the rules of the game, including the opening jump ball.
The book "I Grew Up With Basketball" by Frank J. Basloe, published in 1952, also supports this narrative. Basloe credits Will with altering the game to make it more exciting and fun to play and establishing early rules of play. He also provides evidence that a basketball team existed in Herkimer as early as 1891, a year before the first game in Springfield.
The efforts of Flansburg and the Herkimer 9 Foundation have led to the preservation of historical sites and the recognition of Lambert Will's contributions to the sport, including his posthumous induction into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame.
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The official story credits Dr. James Naismith with inventing basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts
The official story is that Dr. James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891. However, there are alternative narratives that dispute this claim. One such narrative suggests that the game was invented in Herkimer, New York, by Lambert Will, a YMCA director. This theory has gained support from notable figures such as Scott Flansburg, who has actively promoted Herkimer's role in the origins of basketball.
According to the official story, Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, and sports coach, invented basketball while working at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts (now known as Springfield College). Naismith was tasked with creating an engaging indoor activity that provided safe exercise for students during the long New England winters. He designed a game involving a soccer ball, two peach baskets, and a set of 13 rules that he typed up and posted on a bulletin board in the gymnasium on December 21, 1891.
Naismith's invention quickly gained popularity, first in America and then worldwide. The game became established in American colleges, leading to the development of the professional game. The original rules of the sport have evolved, but the basic concept of "basket ball" remains largely unchanged since Naismith's initial creation. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, is named in his honor, and he was inducted into it in 1959.
However, the narrative that credits Dr. Naismith as the sole inventor of basketball has been challenged by some. One notable alternative theory suggests that the game was invented in Herkimer, New York, a town located in the central region of the state. This theory gained prominence through the efforts of Scott Flansburg, also known as the "Human Calculator," a native of Herkimer. Flansburg has assembled a group of local leaders and created the nonprofit Herkimer 9 Foundation, dedicated to promoting Herkimer's role in the origins of basketball.
The Herkimer 9 Foundation claims that Lambert Will, a 16-year-old first-generation Austrian-American boy and volunteer director of the local YMCA in Herkimer, invented the game of basketball. According to this narrative, Will tossed cabbages into peach baskets in a root cellar and later at a local general store in 1890, a year before Naismith's invention in Springfield. The book "I Grew Up With Basketball" by Frank J. Basloe, published in 1952, supports this claim and provides evidence of the game being played in Herkimer before it became popular in Springfield.
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Frequently asked questions
The official story is that Dr. James Naismith invented basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891.
Scott Flansburg, a Herkimer native, claims that basketball was invented in his hometown of Herkimer, New York. He has assembled a group of local leaders and created the nonprofit Herkimer 9 Foundation to promote this idea and revitalize the town with basketball-themed attractions.
Flansburg and his team have over 500 documents that they believe show how basketball was invented and innovated in Herkimer. Additionally, a book called 'I Grew Up With Basketball' by Frank J. Basloe, published in 1952, credits Lambert Will, a 16-year-old Austrian-American boy and YMCA director in Herkimer, with creating the game. Basloe also credits Will with devising many of the rules of the game and creating the first rim, backboard, and net.
