December 21: First Official Basketball Game (1891)
Prayer Idea
Pray for people who play basketball and provide support behind the scenes.
History Note
James Naismith was a 30-year-old physical education instructor who worked at the Young Men’s Christian Association training school in Springfield, Massachusetts. He wanted to create an indoor sport for people to play in the winter.
Naismith came up with a list of 13 rules and attached peach baskets to a balcony 10 feet above the floor. He got two teams of 9 players to play the first game on December 21, 1891.
With a few changes to the rules, the game caught on quickly and spread across the United States and Canada. College teams started competing against each other in 1895 and professional teams formed by 1898. Naismith served as the coach of the University of Kansas men’s basketball team from 1898 to 1907.
James Naismith wanted his game to spread. Naismith also served as a chaplain, and he saw sports and physical exercise as an important part of building character. Naismith even worked with the YMCA and missionaries to use basketball as a tool in connecting with people in other cultures.
Basketball has become popular worldwide. In the United States, the NBA began in 1949 and the WNBA in 1996. There are also professional leagues in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, and other countries.
Kansas artist Elden Teft created this statue of James Naismith. This copy is located in Naismith’s birthplace of Almonte, Ontario. Identical copies are located in Springfield, Massachusetts, and in Lawrence, Kansas, where Naismith coached at the University of Kansas. Photo by Martin Good / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
Learn about basketball inventor James Naismith and his heart for service.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
