The new edition of
Google Doodle is here to mark the invention of Basketball and it does so by
graphically recreating the day professor, doctor, and coach, Dr James Naismith listed down
the rules to the game.

In the new Google doodle graphic, Dr Naismith
can be seen making and writing down the observations about the game as children
try their hands on the hoop for the first time.

“Today’s Doodle celebrates Canadian-American physical educator, professor, doctor, and coach Dr. James Naismith, who invented the game of basketball in 1891. On this day of the following year, Naismith announced the new game and its original rules in the pages of “The Triangle,” a Springfield College school newspaper. From its humble beginnings in a school gymnasium, the sport has grown into an international colossus played in over 200 countries today” wrote Google.

Born on 6 November
1861 in Canada, Naismith was a sports enthusiast and physical educator.

His passion for athletics prompted him to earn a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1888 from McGill University and this is where he would begin his career as a physical education teacher. 

Naismith
eventually moved to the United States, where he took a job at the YMCA International
Training College in Springfield, Massachusetts.

According to the Google Doodle, Massachusetts is where Naismith first invented the rules of basketball in 1891 in an attempt to create an indoor game that could keep students occupied during winters.

The game was first introduced to Naismith’s class on December 21, 1891, it initially featured teams of nine players and combined elements of outdoor sports such as American football, soccer, and field hockey.

Despite initial incredulity, Basketball’s popularity went off the over the following years, and in 1936, basketball made its entry to Olympic games in Germany.

“None other than the sport’s founder—James Naismith—threw the ball for the tip-off to commence the first game.” said Google doodle.

In 1959, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame was incorporated in Springfield, Massachusetts, and his legacy will be endured for centuries in the form of this game.