Who Invented Basketball & When Was Basketball Invented?

James Naismith Invented Basketball

James Naismith is the man in charge of creating the modern day version of basketball. Naismith was a Springfield College graduate student when the idea of creating the famous game arose in his mind. Naismith, a teacher and 31 years old at the time, was tasked with taking his class filled with uninterested young adults and creating a game that would excite and interest them. His idea was to take a combination of sports and their various aspects and put them into one sport. He also created a list of 13 original rules that have been heavily modified over the years. His class then came in, ready to try this new sport. After a hard effort to put his idea into reality, the great game we know today was born.

When Was Basketball Created?

James Naismith’s idea first surfaced in 1891, however it wasn’t until 1946 that the NBA was created. In that 55 year span, the rules were changed, as the original game consisted of peach baskets instead of nets. At Springfield College, Naismith originally requested square baskets to use as the hoop, but instead was handed the peach baskets. The hoops seen today were introduced in 1906. Some other changes occurred in this half a century span, with team size being the most noticeable. In Naismith’s original game, each team had 9 players on the court at a time, whereas it was changed to 5 per team shortly after.