The first ever basketball game, it turns out, looked something like a raucous brawl.
This is one finding after a University of Kansas professor discovered a piece of basketball history: a radio recording of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball and the first coach of the sport at KU.
Michael J. Zogry, an associate professor of religious studies, uncovered the recording while researching a book on the role of religion in Naismith’s life.
In the clip, which is thought to be the only known recording of Naismith’s voice, the inventor says that he had been given two weeks to come up with a new indoor activity for his gym class. The work was hurried along by what he described as a “real New England blizzard” that had his students confined to the gymnasium with nothing to do.
“I told them the idea was to throw the ball into the opposing team’s peach basket,” Naismith says during the interview, his voice sounding like that of a high-pitched college professor. “I blew a whistle, and the first game of basketball began.”
The first game, Naismith explains, featured total carnage. Naismith said the players immediately began tackling each other. Two young men suffered black eyes while another was knocked out, and he had to pull players apart, he said.
“I didn’t have enough (rules), and that’s where I made my big mistake,” Naismith said.
This is one finding after a University of Kansas professor discovered a piece of basketball history: a radio recording of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball and the first coach of the sport at KU.
Michael J. Zogry, an associate professor of religious studies, uncovered the recording while researching a book on the role of religion in Naismith’s life.
In the clip, which is thought to be the only known recording of Naismith’s voice, the inventor says that he had been given two weeks to come up with a new indoor activity for his gym class. The work was hurried along by what he described as a “real New England blizzard” that had his students confined to the gymnasium with nothing to do.
“I told them the idea was to throw the ball into the opposing team’s peach basket,” Naismith says during the interview, his voice sounding like that of a high-pitched college professor. “I blew a whistle, and the first game of basketball began.”
The first game, Naismith explains, featured total carnage. Naismith said the players immediately began tackling each other. Two young men suffered black eyes while another was knocked out, and he had to pull players apart, he said.
“I didn’t have enough (rules), and that’s where I made my big mistake,” Naismith said.