Kristian Ferrell
The Kansas Jayhawks basketball team is steeped in tradition and success. The story of Kansas basketball begins with Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach. He invented basketball in 1891 while working at Springfield College in Massachusetts. The game was inspired by a children's game called duck on a rock that he played growing up in Canada. After inventing basketball, Naismith founded the University of Kansas basketball program in 1898, becoming the Kansas Jayhawks' first coach and athletic director. He also wrote the original basketball rule book, which included 13 rules, compared to the NBA's 66-page rule book today.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Inventor of basketball | James Naismith |
| Year of invention | 1891 |
| Location of invention | Springfield College, Massachusetts |
| University affiliation | University of Kansas |
| Role at the University of Kansas | Head coach, athletic director, and faculty member |
| Years at the University of Kansas | 1898-1937 |
| Original rules | 13 rules, written in 1891 |
| Original equipment | Soccer ball, two peach baskets |
| Olympic inclusion | 1904 (demonstration sport), 1936 (official sport) |
| Legacy | The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, The Naismith Awards |
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What You'll Learn
James Naismith invented basketball in 1891
Naismith was a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, chaplain, and sports coach. He was born on November 6, 1861, in Almonte, Canada, to Scottish parents. He studied and taught physical education at McGill University in Montreal until 1890 before moving to Springfield, Massachusetts, where he designed basketball.
The first game of basketball was played with a soccer ball and two peach baskets as goals. Two years later, in 1893, Naismith replaced the peach baskets with iron hoops and hammock-style baskets. The original rules of basketball were written by Naismith in December 1891 and published in January 1892 in the Springfield College school magazine, The Triangle. The rules specified that teams would consist of nine players per side, with three forwards, three centers, and three backs. The game began with a jump ball between the two center players, and players could only move the ball up and down the court via passes between players, as dribbling was not allowed.
Naismith founded the University of Kansas basketball program in 1898, six years after writing the sport's first official rules. He also coached the Kansas Jayhawks and mentored several notable players and coaches, including Phog Allen, who became the coach at Kansas for 39 seasons and is known as the "Father of Basketball Coaching." Naismith lived to see basketball adopted as an Olympic demonstration sport in 1904 and as an official event at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. He died in 1939, the same year the NCAA Tournament was founded.
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He wrote the original 13 rules of basketball
James Naismith wrote the original 13 rules of basketball, which were published in January 1892 in The Triangle, the school newspaper of Springfield College. Many of these rules still exist today, though some have changed. For example, basketball is now played with hoops and nets instead of baskets, and the game has evolved to include goaltending and defence pass interference rules. The original rules also did not include dribbling; the ball could only be moved up and down the court via passes between players.
The original rules laid out by Naismith are familiar enough that those who enjoy basketball today will still recognise it as the same sport. The 13 rules formed the heart of the game, and some remain central to basketball, such as the rules on fouls. The umpire was the judge of the players and noted the fouls, notifying the referee when three consecutive fouls had been made. The umpire had the power to disqualify players.
The rules also covered the scoring system. A goal was made when the ball was thrown or batted from the ground into the basket and stayed there, as long as those defending the goal did not touch or disturb it. If the ball rested on the edges, and the opponent moved the basket, it counted as a goal. The side that made the most goals in that time was declared the winner. In the case of a draw, the captains could agree to continue the game until another goal was scored.
Naismith founded the University of Kansas basketball program in 1898, six years after writing the original rules. He also coached the Kansas Jayhawks and was the Kansas athletic director. The rules he wrote were housed in an $18 million building named the Debruce Center at the University of Kansas, which opened in March 2016.
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He founded the University of Kansas basketball program in 1898
James Naismith, a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach, is best known as the inventor of basketball. He first invented the game in 1891 while he was teaching at Springfield College in Massachusetts.
Naismith founded the University of Kansas basketball program in 1898, six years after writing the sport's first official rules. He was the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team from 1898 to 1907 and served as the athletic director and a faculty member at Kansas for almost 40 years before retiring in 1937.
Naismith's original rules did not include dribbling, and the ball could only be moved up or down the court through passes between players. The first game was played with a soccer ball and two peach baskets as goals. Two years later, in 1893, Naismith replaced the peach baskets with iron hoops and hammock-style baskets. Open-ended nets were introduced ten years later.
Naismith's legacy at the University of Kansas extends beyond his invention of the game. He is also known for his coaching tree, which includes notable branches such as Phog Allen and Kansas native John McLendon. Allen went on to coach at Kansas for 39 seasons and mentored players like Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith. Naismith also influenced the coaching careers of Amos Alonzo Stagg, who primarily coached football, and several football players who transitioned into coaching basketball, such as Jesse Harper, Fred Walker, and Tony Hinkle.
The University of Kansas honours Naismith's legacy in several ways. The basketball court in Allen Fieldhouse is named the James Naismith Court, and the university constructed the $18 million Debruce Center to house the original rules of basketball. Naismith was designated a National Historic Person in 1976, and postage stamps commemorating the centennial of basketball's invention were issued in Canada and the US in 1991.
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He was the Kansas Jayhawks' athletic director and coach
Basketball was invented by Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach Dr. James Naismith in 1891. Six years later, in 1898, he arrived at the University of Kansas and founded the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball program.
Dr. James Naismith was also the Kansas Jayhawks' athletic director and coach. He was the only coach in the program's history to have a losing record (55-60). However, he did coach Forrest "Phog" Allen, who succeeded him as coach at Kansas and became known as the "Father of Basketball Coaching". Phog Allen went on to coach notable players and future coaches Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith.
Naismith also played a role in the formation of the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball, which later became the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). He was also the founder of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Naismith lived to see basketball adopted as an Olympic demonstration sport in 1904 and as an official event at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. In 1937, he retired and became a professor emeritus at Kansas. He died in 1939.
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Basketball was added to the Olympics in 1936
Basketball was invented by James Naismith, a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach, in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891. He wrote the original 13 rules of the sport and founded the University of Kansas basketball program in 1898.
Naismith witnessed basketball being adopted as an Olympic demonstration sport in 1904 and as an official event at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. In 1935, the National Association of Basketball Coaches raised money to send the 74-year-old Naismith to Berlin to see his game being played internationally. The first Olympic basketball tournament was organised in 1936, with the host city being Berlin. Dr. Naismith presented the medals to the top three teams: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Basketball has been a sport for men consistently since 1936. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball, with the men's team winning gold medals in almost all the competitions. The women's team has also been highly successful, winning 7 out of 10 tournaments since the women's event was added in 1976.
The United States is the founding nation of basketball and the home of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the world's top professional league. The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) played a crucial role in spreading the sport globally, and 21 teams competed for the top honours at the Berlin 1936 Games.
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Frequently asked questions
James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
James Naismith founded the University of Kansas basketball program in 1898, six years after writing the sport's first official rules. He was also the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team from 1898 to 1907.
James Naismith was a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach. He also founded the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball, which later became the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1959.
