You're not going to believe this, but the man who invented basketball was a Canadian. (Insert dramatic music here.) Dr. James Naismith was born in a small rural town in Ontario called Ramsey in 1861. He was orphaned at nine years old and was raised by his aunt and uncle.

Prelude to Basketball

As a young boy, James' favorite activity was a game called Ducks on a Rock. That's Canadians for you. The game consists of one person defending a large piece of stone that was placed on another stone or tree stump. Members of the other team would try to knock it over with small rocks. Naismith figured out that a soft high arching shot was more effective than a hard one.

Love of Sport

Naismith loved sports growing up. After high school he attended McGill University in Montreal. In college he was a two sport athlete, playing football and gymnastics. His gymnastic prowess earned him several medals and awards throughout his college career. Also, he is credited with the first player in collegiate football history to wear a helmet during a game. He graduated in 1890 with a bachelor's degree in physical education. Shortly after graduating, he was hired and became McGill's first athletic director.

The Birth of Basketball

A year later, in 1891, James accepted a job as an instructor at the YMCA in Springfield Massachusetts. It was here where Naismith would get the inspiration for basketball. Many of the boys there trained for track and field as well as other sports. However, during the cold winter months the youths would get agitated from being cooped up inside and become rowdy. Something needed to be done. The director of sports called on young Naismith to come up with an activity that could be played in a small area. It also needed to be helpful in keeping the track athletes in shape.

The Game Itself

Naismith looked closely at the popular sports that were played at the time, hockey, soccer, football, lacrosse and baseball. He concluded that elements of these sports, such as hitting a small ball or moving a ball while running would be dangerous in close quarters. He decided to use a bigger, softer ball advanced only through passing. Also, the targets were purposely put high above the player's heads. This added an element of hand eye coordination and skill. A skill reminiscent of the soft high arching shot he perfected in ducks on a rock. The targets mounted were peach baskets he borrowed from a nearby farm. The rest, they say, is history.