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Conference kaosws::canada

Title:True North Strong & Free
Notice:Introduction in Note 535, For Sale/Wanted in 524
Moderator:POLAR::RICHARDSON
Created:Fri Jun 19 1987
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1040
Total number of notes:13668

430.0. "basketball from canada?" by TRLIAN::MENARD (Lost in Ultrixland) Tue Apr 09 1991 16:15

    Hi,
    	I know that it's now baseball season (btw, the Red Sox beat
    the Blue Jays at the Skydome on opening day!), but my question is
    about basketball.  On Jeopardy last night, the answer was "so and
    so invented basketball in this city".  No one got the question, so
    Alex Trebek (a Canadian) gave the question as "where is Springfield,
    Massachusetts?".  I'm from Massachusetts and I knew the question (in
    fact, I beleive the Basketball Hall of Fame is in Springfield), but 
    my husband, who is originally from Alfred Ontario, swears that the
    game of basketball was invented by a Canadian, in a town just south
    of Ottawa.  He couldn't remember the name of the town.  Can any of
    you confirm this?  If so, who, when, where (and why aren't there any
    Canadian NBA teams)? 
    
    Thanx, 
    Paula
    
    Go Red Sox! 
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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430.1FSCORE::PAVEZKAseton ni segassem cinataSTue Apr 09 1991 16:598
    James Naismith was born in Almonte, Ontario (a small town just outside
    of Ottawa).  He invented the game while working at a school in
    Springfield......a sport that could be played indoors during bad
    weather.  He made some simple rules (used some handball rules), stuck 
    some peach baskets up at each end of the gym, got a volleyball, and
    voila....basketball.
    
    pete
430.2SIOG::EGRIThu Apr 11 1991 10:036
    I read somewhere that he was a professor at Yale or Harvard (not sure
    which one) and was asked to come up with a game that the players on the
    football team could play to stay in shape during the winter. But he
    was definitely Canadian.
    
    Ted
430.3Naismith souvenir plates as well...KAOM25::RUSHTONThe frumious BandersnatchThu Apr 11 1991 14:5622
Not only Canadian but from ALMONTE, Ontario where I live.

Both my kids went to Naismith Memorial Public School where they
have an excellent display of Dr. James Naismith memorabilia.

The stone house where he lived has been designated as an historic
site (it is on the outskirts of Almonte).

Almonte District High School is renowned for its basketball team
(one of its former students, Cory Hallas, is a top draft choice for the NBA and
presently plays for Northwestern University in the States).

The school colours for both Naismith P.S. and ADHS are orange and black:





		The colours of a basketball!!!

By the way, ADHS hopes to expand its gymnasium to incorporate a regulation
size basketball court.  So, if you would like to send a donation...