How surprised would you be if we told you that the first basketball game was played with a soccer ball?
Let's look at the story behind basketball and learn more about the man who invented this sport.
Naismith was born on November 6, 1861, in Ontario, Canada. After getting a degree in P.E. at McGill University, he moved to the U.S.
He took up a job at the YMCA International Training College in Springfield, Massachusetts.There he made a plan for a game that could be played indoors, especially during the cold winters.
When making the rules of basketball, Naismith took inspiration(靈感) from sports like rugby(橄欖球), soccer, baseball, and football. The idea of passing the ball was from American rugby, and the shape of the ball was influenced by soccer balls. And in 1891, the sport of basketball came to life, and Naismith named it 「Basket Ball」.
In December 1891, the first-ever basketball game was played. The game followed thirteen rules written by Naismith, and players played for two fifteen-minute rounds with a five-minute break.
Interestingly, the hoop(籃圈) was a fruit basket nailed(釘牢) to the wall. Several years later, an opening was cut at the bottom of the basket! At the beginning, the game involved tackling(擒抱) until Naismith realized that the players were getting violent(暴力的). So, he introduced the idea of dribbling(運球) and passing. However, there were forwards, centers, and guards since the first game.
Basketball was popular not only in the United States, but also in other countries. In 1936, basketball was added to the Olympics Games.
According to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), there are 44 million people around the world who play basketball, making this sport the second most popular in the world!