The Basketball Man: James Naismith [Hardcover]

Bernice Larson Webb (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 439 pages
• Publisher: Kappelman's Historic Collections (1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0700600973
• ISBN-13: 978-0700600977
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,047,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Beloved Inventor Of Basketball, James Naismith, May 9, 2003

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First Things First "captainreflection" (Burbank, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Basketball Man: James Naismith (Hardcover)

James Naismith single-handedly invented the game of basketball in the winter of 1891, when his Y.M.C.A. boss challenged him to come up with a better means of keeping restless athletes occupied when cold weather forced them indoors and away from football and baseball. Prior to his brainstorm, many athletes had been bored and uninspired doing gymnastics and calisthenics while longing for the spring thaw which would once again allow them to engage in competitive sports. Naismith's life was an interesting one; he was born to Scottish parents in the Canadian wilderness near Ottawa, where he was suddenly orphaned as a youngster after both parents succumbed to typhoid. An unmarried uncle took him in, but rather than another warm and nurturing home, Naismith was plunged into a regimen of self-reliance, survival in the wilderness, and a stern work ethic. A physically strong boy, and a natural at sports, he was nevertheless a gentle spirit with an early interest in becoming a Presbyterian Minister. He eventually earned degrees in Physical Education, Divinity, and Medicine. After attending University in Canada, Naismith wound up working for the "Y" in Springfield Massachusetts, which is where the first basketball game was played. With the help of a couple of peach baskets the janitor pulled out of the broom closet for him, and the 13 original rules he had jotted down in his office, "Doc" as he was known, supervised the game's debut which was not so very different from the internationally-known game of today, and was an instant hit with all who saw it and/or played it. A few years later, Doc Naismith accepted an offer to join Kansas University as supervisor of their sports program, occasional minister, and part-time medical doctor, and this is where he raised his family and lived for the rest of his long life. Never interested in cashing in on his invention, Naismith watched basketball grow and change, usually stubbornly resisting new rules or the commercialization of the sport, but always proud that the game he had created was helping people to keep physically fit while having some good clean fun. Always a popular, well-liked and even beloved man wherever his life and travels took him, he did eventually receive many honors for his invention and his other good works, and in his retired years was a sought-after speaker at colleges and organizations throughout the country. Bernice Larson Webb has written an excellent biography here, combining the evolution of basketball with the life and adventures of its creator. Incidentally, the Basketball Hall of Fame (named for James Naismith) may be helpful in obtaining a copy of this hard-to-find book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!