Korean Job Discussion Forums

Newbie · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Lots of folks here are always angry that Canadians claim basketball was invented by a Canadian. Why?

Is it because Naismith lived in the US? Or is it because there was a similar game happening in Central America before James did his thing?

(wikipedia says it was invented by a Canadian)

Canadian Club · Joined: 12 Aug 2006

Heritage Minutes says it was Canadian.

darkhorse_NZ · Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Location: South Korea

apparently it was invented by a Canadian in the US for American students but based on a Canadian children's game, unless you can ask Naismith himself it seems up for grabs.

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Maybe because Americans are better at it.

darkhorse_NZ · Joined: 20 Feb 2007 Location: South Korea

blaseblasphemener · Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 5:24 am Post subject:

mikowee · Joined: 03 Aug 2006

I prefer that it's considered an American sport. It's embarrassing to suck so bad at a sport that's supposedley ours (excepting Nash).

huffdaddy · Joined: 25 Nov 2005

Yeah, so?! And hockey was invented by the English. Or maybe by the Irish or Scottish. Or maybe by the Continentals.

Are they the lemmings · Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:25 am Post subject:

Hey! Don't forget to give Willie the militant janitor his due credit!

tomato · Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 2:55 pm Post subject:

I read somewhere that basketball was invented by an employee in a YMCA.
They used a real basket.
Everyone got tired of climbing up on a stepladder to get the ball every time someone made a basket, so the cut a hole in the bottom.
That created another problem: disputes over who did and did not make a basket.
So they attached a net to the basket.
My source did not say whethere the employee was American or Canadian, or whether the YMCA was in the United States or Canada.

I also read somewhere that volleyball was invented in a YMCA.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

It's no more Canadian than Titanic was a Canadian move. Titanic was directed by a Canadian living in America using American money for an American studio for a largely American audience. Basketball was invented by a Canadian in the USA working in the USA and designed for American inner city youth.

pkang0202 · Joined: 09 Mar 2007

congee · Joined: 08 Jun 2007

blaseblasphemener · Posted: Thu Jul 05, 2007 4:24 pm Post subject:

crazy_arcade · Joined: 05 Nov 2006

.....................

In early December 1891, Dr. James Naismith, a Canadian physical education student and instructor at YMCA Training School[1] (today, Springfield College) in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, sought a vigorous indoor game to keep his students occupied and at proper levels of fitness during the long New England winters.

incorporated rules from a Canadian children's game called "Duck on a Rock",

Basketball, netball, dodgeball, volleyball, and lacrosse are the only ball games which have been identified as being invented by North Americans