Edwin Brit Wyckoff - The Man Who Invented the Game of Basketball: The Genius of James Naismith

The Man Who Invented Game of Basketball

Life today would not be the same without the work of those great minds that came before. The geniuses in these books have made our world a better place through their awesome inventions.

This book celebrates my great-grandfathers life in a way that is accessible and fun for children. And the photos... simply terrific!

These clearly-written books reveal the stories behind ordinary Americans doing extraordinary things.

About the Author

Edwin Brit Wyckoff is the cocreator of Winky Dink and You, the first interactive childrens television program. He has also written, produced, and directed hundreds of corporate meetings, films, videos, and educational programs in all media. Mr. Wyckoff divides his time between his native New York City and Washington, D.C.

Winters in Canada can be cold and harsh.

Winter in Canada can be very hard. Freezing wind sweeps down from the north. Rivers freeze solid. Crossing them can be scary and dangerous.

Young James Naismith

James Naismith turned eleven in 1872. He was old enough to know where the river near his home became safe, solid ice. But he took a shortcut he had never tried before. His team of horses pulled his wagon onto the frozen river. Their feet pounded the ice. Then one heavy hoof slammed through the sheet of ice. James jumped off the wagon and landed in the water. Grabbing the horses by their reins, he pulled hard. They were fighting him. Slowly he forced them through the broken ice to the other side of the river. They were so wet that icicles formed on the horses and the boy.

James grew up near Almonte, Ontario, in Canada.

James looked around. He saw his uncle Peter Young watching him from behind some trees. But his uncle had not helped. He wanted James to learn to solve problems by himself and not to take foolish chances. It was a tough lesson.

This is the city of Almonte, Ontario, in Canada, as it looked in the early twentieth century.

James had been born on November 6, 1861, near Almonte, Ontario, which is in Canada. When he was almost nine, his father, John Naismith, came down with deadly typhoid fever. It is very catching, so James, his sister, Annie, and brother, Robbie, were taken to their grandmothers home. A few days later their father died. Two weeks later, their mother, Margaret, died of the same disease. A short time later, their grandmother, Annie Young, died of old age.

After his parents died, James moved to this house, which belonged to his uncle Peter.

Their uncle Peter took care of them in a small village near Almonte called Bennies Corners. It had a schoolhouse, a store, a blacksmith shop, and lots of other kids to play with. There was a swimming hole with a muddy hill for sliding right into the water. There were bunches of boys who loved wrestling, running, and high jumping. The children had lots of fun with very little money. When James needed ice skates, he made them. He took strips of old, rusty metal and sharpened them. He pounded the metal strips into wooden boards, and tied the boards to his shoes. Then he raced out onto the frozen swimming hole like a champion skater.

The best game in town was called duck on a rock. One player, the guard, would put a rock about the size of his fist on top of a great big rock near the blacksmith shop. The other boys threw stones at the duck to knock it off the big rock. If they missed, they had to pick up their stone before the guard could tag them. It sounds easy. It is not. The pitch could be soft, but it had to be perfectly aimed. When a player missed the duck, there was a lot of running, shouting, and laughing. James would remember duck on a rock years later when it was very important to him.

James and his friends used this big rock to play their favorite game, duck on a rock.

James (right) and his best friend, R. Tait MacKenzie, loved to spend time outdoors.

James was great at sports. He also worked hard on the family farm. He did not work hard at school, though, and his grades were never very good. He wanted to grow up fast and be a man with a job. When he was fifteen, he left school and worked as a lumberjack. He cut down trees for almost five years. Then he decided to change his life.

James had a plan. He wanted to go back to high school and finish fast. His next step would be college. His sister and his uncle Peter wanted him to work on the farm. They argued. Finally they made a deal. James could go to college if he promised to study and become a minister after he graduated. He also promised to come home to work on the farm every summer. In 1883, James entered McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

One day when James was home for a visit, his brother, Robbie, had a terrible pain in his side. They all thought it was just a stomachache. It was actually a very bad infection right next to his stomach. Robbie died a few hours after the first stab of pain. A doctor could have helped him. The thought that Robbie could have been saved stayed in Jamess mind every day of his life.

In 1887, James graduated from McGill University after studying Hebrew and philosophy. Hebrew is an ancient language that many preachers study. Philosophy teaches people to think about life. James had a lot to think about.

James (front) won two sports awards at McGill University. Here he is with the gymnastics team.

For James, the next step was studying to become a minister at McGills Presbyterian College. There was much to learn, and he studied day and night. His friends tried to get him to play sports. They told him it would sharpen his mind and toughen up his body. He said no and kept on studying.