This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 5/21/2006.
James A. Naismith, M.D. invented the sport of basketball on December 15, 1891 while working as a physical education teacher. He was looking for a way to relieve his students boredom and was inspired by a game he played as a child in Ontario, Canada called "Duck on a Rock". He nailed a peach basket to either end of the school's gymnasium and played two teams, nine per team. Originally, he set up thirteen rules, twelve of which are still used today. Basketball became a popular sport in the United States and Canada very quickly. Men's basketball was officially added to the Olympic Games program at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin where Naismith handed out the medals. In 1898, Naismith moved to Kansas and became the first basketball coach at the University of Kansas where he established one of the greatest coaching legacies in basketball history. In the late 1930s Naismith played a role in the formation of the National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball, which later became the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. He was the founding inductee when on February 17, 1968 the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, named in his honor, opened in Springfield, Massachusetts. Silver Relief medallion in very good condition. There is one dimple on the right side of the background caused by the rear mounting bolt. Accompanied by an 18" x 18" Plaque picturing Naismith and a brief bio of his life. It is in very good condition with a few surface scratches.