Google Doodle Honors James Naismith: Here’s Everything about the Basketball Inventor

  • AUTHOR: midhat
  • POSTED ON: January 15, 2021

Have you ever wondered who invented the most popular game Basketball?


And, for answers, you will definitely turn to Google, right?
Well, Google has put on a Doodle to celebrate Dr. James Naismith, the guy who
invented the game of tall 
guys “Basketball” in 1981.


Celebrating Dr James Naismith


He was a Canadian-American physical educator, professor, Christian chaplain, physician, doctor and coach. On this day in 1982, he announced the game and its
original rules in a Springfield College newspaper, “The Triangle.”


Related: Google Doodle celebrated December Global Holidays!


Who would have thought that his college assignment would
become an international behemoth game that would be played in over 200 countries
in later years!


Here’s everything you need to know about the Basketball
inventor James Naismith:


Who was
James Naismith?


Canada's Walk of Fame | Inductee Archive | Science, Technology &  Innovation


Born on November 6, 1861, in Ontario Canada, James Naismith
received his bachelor’s degree from McGill University in physical education. He
migrated to the 
United States in late 1981 and was appointed at the YMCA International
College as an instructor in Springfield, Massachusetts.


Related: Google  Doodle celebrates Sir Arthur Lewis!


He invented Basketball while he was teaching here. He was assigned
with a task to come up with an activity or game that could engage students while
ruthless New England winters. So, he came up with an idea of a game consisted
of an enclosed gymnasium, a soccer ball, a basket, and ten rules. Here’s how a
popular game “Basketball” came into existence and the rest is history!


And like any other genius guys who invented something,
Naismith too had multiple degrees. After completing his bachelor’s in physical
studies, he developed his interest in medical sciences and received his medical
education in Denver in 1989, seven years after inventing Basketball.


The invention
of Basketball:


James Naismith | Canadian-American athlete and educator | Britannica


James Naismith was struggling with a rowdy batch of students
that was restricted to stay indoor throughout the jarring New England winter.
Dr. Luther Gulick, the head of physical education at the Springfield YMCA,
tasked Naismith to develop an indoor game that would offer an “athletic
distraction” to students suffering from the harsh winter. He was given a
deadline of only 14 days.


Related: Google Doodle celebrates Stamen Grigorov.


Gulick asked him to create a game that wouldn’t take up much
space and help students to stay physically fit throughout the chilly season. He
explicitly instructed him to “make it fair for all players and not too rough.”


Naismith analyzed three main thoughts in his attempt to
invent a new game. Firstly, he examined the most famous games of those times
such as football, hockey, lacrosse, rugby and baseball; he thought that it
would be too risky to play with a hardball indoors, so he concluded that a big,
soft soccer ball would do the work.


Secondly, he observed that players were in most physical
contact while running with the ball, hitting r dribbling it, so he introduced
“passing the ball within a defined time” the only legal option.


Finally, Naismith eliminated body contact by placing a goal
high above the player’s head and its opening parallel to the floor. This
required players to throw the ball softly to score a goal.


The method of scoring a goal in this game was inspired by
his old favorite game called duck on a rock. Naismith named this novel game
“basketball” and jotted down his ideas together in 13 basic rules.


Basketball gradually rose to popularity over the following
years and made its Olympic debut in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. The inventor
himself threw the tip-off to commence the first Olympic game.


There were also the reports of calling this game “Naismith
Ball,” but the inventor refused and decided to stay with an original name
“Basketball.”


Naismith proposed Basketball as a way for students to stay
physically and emotionally fit during the hard winter season. During those
times, the schools were segregated, but Naismith made sure that this game could
be playable by anyone of any gender.


Related: The issues faced by women in sports.


In his lifetime, Naismith took several measures to ensure
that basketball reach more young generation. Since then, the sport has evolved
into a global phenomenon that successfully breaks through racial and gender
barriers.


The heart of Basketball history, the Naismith Basketball Hall
of fame was established in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1959. It is the heart
of the basketball history that carries Naismith’s legacy till this day!


Here are some interesting facts about Basketball:

·        


-The first-ever college basketball game was played
between the University of Iowa and the University of Chicago on January 18,
1896. The game concluded with scores: Chicago 15, Iowa 12.

·        


-“March Madness,” one of the most exciting
basketball events begun in 1931, when the first NCAA tournament was held at the
University of Illinois.

·        


-Initially, the game was much shorter than it is
today. Naismith introduced two 15-minutes halves, with 5 minutes of break in
between.

·        


-Back in the days, the students of Springfield
YMCA used to play this game with a soccer ball and peach baskets. Referees had
to retrieve the ball every time a player threw into a basket to score a goal.

·        


-The string baskets we know today were actually
introduced in 1900.


Shout out to Google for reminding us of this legend who
invented the world’s most favorite game Basketball! If it were not him, we
wouldn’t be sitting at the stands and cheering for our favorite NBA teams.


Here’s to Dr. James Naismith – Thank you for inventing one
of the most fun-filled global past time. Like our Facebook page now and win exciting prizes!


Updated January 15, 2021
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