Invented in 1891 by James A. Naismith at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Mass., basketball quickly became popular throughout the U.S., with games organized at the high school and collegiate level for both sexes. (For the first game, Naismith used as goals two half-bushel peach baskets, which gave the sport its name.)

Basketball History Basketball was invented in December 1891 by the Canadian clergyman, educator, and physician James Naismith. Naismith introduced the game when he was an instructor at the Young Men's Christian Association Training School (now Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The game of basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith. The first public basketball game took place in 1892. Today, it is a very popular sport worldwide, played with a round and usually orange (or orange-brown) ball that bounces. Basketball players use skills such as dribbling (bouncing), shooting, running, and jumping.