The guy who invented basketball, Dr James Naismith, apparently wasn’t Canadian after all but actually Scottish, according to some new research that’s come out.
Dr Naismith, a PE teacher who whipped up the game in 1891, has always been thought of as Canadian because he was born in Almonte, Ontario, in 1861.
But hold up, back then, it was a British colony, and Canadian citizenship didn’t even exist until 1947, which was eight years after Naismith bit the dust in 1939.
So, this dude from the University of Stirling, Dr Ross Walker, has dug up some dirt that says Naismith, who thought of himself as a Scot, lived in a Scottish community, and talked with a Scottish twang for most of his life.
According to Dr Walker, who balled for Scotland for 15 years, “Before 1891, Naismith was chilling in a replanted Scottish hood and hanging out in places run by Scots, living a life that was pretty much like what was going down in Scotland at the time.
“In his day-to-day, Naismith was all about that Scottish vibe, speaking like a Scot, using the thick Scots dialect, getting into Scottish activities, and spreading his Scottish values that guided his every move.”
Naismith’s Scottish roots are well-documented—his dad was born in Glasgow, and his grandparents on his mom’s side were Scottish.
He grew up in a community of Scottish immigrants that was basically a mini-Scotland.
As a kid, his Scottish fam introduced him to this game called “duck-on-the-rock,” which he later said was the inspiration for basketball.
He was taught by Scots at school and was heavily influenced by Scottish culture.
He even played Scottish tunes on the fiddle, joined in on Highland Games, and signed up at McGill University with The Fifth Regiment: Royal Scots of Canada Highlanders, where he eventually became a captain.
The regiment was all about celebrating Scottish culture, throwing music fests with traditional Scottish dances and whatnot.
Dr Walker is saying that the history of basketball being all about America needs a serious rethink now.
He says, “Sure, people have mentioned Naismith’s Scottish roots before, but it’s usually just stories without any real proof that Scotland had a hand in creating basketball through Naismith.”
His research is all about showing that basketball isn’t just a Canadian and American thing.
He adds, “The way I see it, without Scotland, basketball wouldn’t be the big deal it is today that everyone around the globe loves and celebrates.”
His two-year deep dive into all things Naismith involved sifting through a bunch of documents related to the guy, including old records from Canada and a ton of newspaper articles from the 1800s.
Dr Walker also points out, “Right up until he passed, Naismith stayed true to his Scottish roots, keeping his Scottish beliefs, mindset, traits, and values alive, and even made several trips to Scotland to visit family and places, even buying his wedding gear in Scotland back in 1894.
“Before basketball hit the 1936 Olympics, Naismith made one last trip to his spiritual home, reconnecting to where it all began for him and basketball.
“In the words of Naismith’s grandson, Jim Naismith, Scotland was a place he called home and cared a whole lot about.”
Dr Walker’s findings have been published in the journal Sport in History, offering a fresh take on Naismith’s life and the birth of basketball.
