what year was basketball invented

Basketball was invented in 1891 by James Naismith, a Canadian physical education instructor, in Springfield, Massachusetts. Naismith was tasked with creating an indoor sports game to help athletes keep in shape during cold weather. He came up with the game of "basket ball" by nailing two peach baskets to opposite ends of a gymnasium balcony, and the first game was played with a soccer ball and nine players on each team. The game quickly gained popularity, and within a few weeks, students introduced the game at their own YMCAs. The rules were printed in a college magazine, which was mailed to YMCAs around the country, and the game was introduced to many foreign nations due to the colleges well-represented international student body. High schools and colleges began to introduce the new game, and by 1905, basketball was officially recognized as a permanent winter sport.