A Review of Historical Development of Basketball

Abstract

The game of basketball originated in December 1891 by a Canadian born man by the name of James Naismith. Naismith was a teacher at the YMCA training school in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was required to train young men to become instructors at newly opened YMCA centres. With the cold weather keeping the class indoors, in December 1891, Naismith was asked by the schools Superintendent of Physical Education, Dr. Luther. H. Gulick, to create an indoor game that would keep the young men active during the cold winter months. With the help of his wife and memories of playing ‘Duck on a Rock’ during his childhood, he decided to create a game that would focus on skill rather than strength. For those who are curious… ‘Duck on a Rock’ was a game in which players threw rocks at a certain target placed on top of a large boulder or tree stump. The game he ended up inventing is the game we all know and love today – basketball.