The first game of basketball ever played was a rolling brawl

AN AUDIO clip of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of basketball, describing the game’s creation has been discovered — and it’s safe to say the game has evolved.

First Basketball Coach James A. Naismith - headshot inventor sport history

AN AUDIO clip of Dr. James Naismith, inventor of basketball, describing the game’s creation was discovered in the University of Kansas’ audio and manuscript archives.

Naismith describes to host Gabriel Heatter the moment he invented the game, as a physical education instructor at Springfield College in 1891.

“We had a real New England blizzard,” Naismith said. “For days, the students couldn’t go outdoors, so they began rough-housing in the halls. We tried everything to keep them quiet. We tried playing a modified form of football in the gymnasium, but they got bored with it. Something had to be done.

“One day I had an idea. I called the boys to the gym, divided them up into teams of nine and gave them an old soccer ball. I showed them two peach baskets I nailed up at each end of the gym. I told them the idea was to throw the ball into the opposing team’s peach basket. I blew the whistle, and the first game of basketball began.”

Here's the only known recording of James Naismith, inventor of basketball. Just discovered. Unbelievable and awesome https://t.co/OfjvNxcUpQ

— Jesse Temple (@jessetemple) December 15, 2015

That’s right, Naismith gave a group of already aggressive boys a ball, an objective and no rules — the predictable chaos ensued:

“Well I didn’t have enough [rules], and that’s where I made my big mistake. The boys tackling, kicking and punching in the clinches. They ended up in a free-for-all in the middle of the gym floor. Before I could pull them apart, one boy was knocked out, several of them had black eyes, and one had a dislocated shoulder. It certainly was murder.”

Naismith goes on to say that once he banned anyone from running with the ball in their hands, the tackling stopped and the casualties were eliminated.

Take a few minutes to listen to the whole interview — if only for the old timey nature of the great man’s voice.

Originally published as The first game of basketball ever played was a rolling brawl