Basketball was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian physical education instructor working at the YMCA International Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. He was tasked with creating a new indoor game to keep his students active during the cold winter months.

Dr. Naismith developed 13 basic rules and used a soccer ball and two peach baskets nailed to opposite walls as goals. The objective was simple: throw the ball into the opposing team’s basket to score points. Unlike many sports of the time, it emphasized skill and strategy over brute strength.

The game quickly gained popularity in schools and colleges across the United States and eventually around the world. In 1936, basketball was included in the Olympic Games in Berlin, and since then, it has become one of the most played and watched sports globally.

Today, basketball is governed internationally by FIBA (Fédération Internationale de Basketball), and in the United States, the NBA (National Basketball Association) is one of the most prominent professional leagues.