Paying tribute to James Naismith, the man who started it all
It wasn’t long before he ended up in the Midwest, where James Naismith would mark his name in history.
By Alison Cumbow (Contact)
Friday, February 15th, 2008
Long before Naismith Drive was Naismith Drive, a Canadian doctor-turned-coach moved to the United States. He moved around a lot, receiving four degrees from four different colleges.
But it wasn’t long before he ended up in the Midwest, where James Naismith would mark his name in history.
James Naismith invented the game of basketball in 1891, using peach baskets as goals. Naismith created the game because he said the men could not play "Drop the Handkerchief," a game similar to Duck-Duck-Goose.
Naismith first received a degree in philosophy from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, in 1887. In 1890, he received a degree in religion from the Presbyterian College of Theology in Montreal. In 1891, he earned a degree in physical education from Massachusett’s Springfield College, which was then the YMCA training school.
Lastly, he received his medical degree from Gross Medical College in Denver, Colo., in 1898.
In 1898, James Naismith arrived in Lawrence as an associate professor and the University of Kansas’ first basketball coach. He eventually became the University physician as well.
At the end of his career, Naismith acquired the title of the only coach in KU history to have a losing record (55-60), but his legacy has lived on as the inventor of basketball.
Naismith couldn’t have agreed more, and said, “I am sure that no man can derive more pleasure from money or power than I do from seeing a pair of basketball goals in some out-of-way place.”
Naismith invented the game in 1891 while working in Massachusetts at a YMCA.
“The invention of basketball was not an accident. It was developed to meet a need. Those boys simply would not play ‘Drop the Handkerchief,’ ” he said.
Drop the Handkerchief is a children’s game similar to Duck-Duck-Goose.
Given the guidelines of a game that would not take up much room, would not be too rough and could be played indoors, Naismith came up with basketball.
Naismith himself wrote 13 rules for his invention. In Naismith’s rules, there are only 500 words. In today’s rules of basketball, there are about 30,000 words.
James Naismith and Forrest "Phog" Allen were the first two coaches of Kansas basketball. Naismith served as Allen's mentor and coach before Allen became coach in 1907.
After his move to Lawrence, Naismith coached and mentored Forrest “Phog” Allen, a remarkable player, who later became one of the most successful coaches in the United States.
When Allen first told Naismith he was going to coach, Naismith told him that basketball was only a game to play and that it didn’t need a coach.
Naismith’s name has been immortalized throughout the KU campus, from James Naismith Court in Allen Fieldhouse to Naismith Hall, a private residence hall.
Naismith created one of the most popular sports in the world, as well as a reason for KU fans to have so much pride in their school.
In the beginning, he gave the YMCA boys something to do, later he coached his team at Kansas — his pride and joy — and now, he is still affecting those who cheer on KU basketball with as much loyalty as he had back then.
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