Hoop Genius: How a Desperate Teacher and a Rowdy Gym Class Invented Basketball

Taking over a rowdy gym class right before winter vacation is not something James Naismith wants to do at all. The last two teachers of this class quit in frustration. The students―a bunch of energetic young men―are bored with all the regular games and activities. Naismith needs something new, exciting, and fast to keep the class happy―or someone's going to get hurt. Saving this class is going to take a genius. Discover the true story of how Naismith invented basketball in 1891 at a school in Springfield, Massachusetts.