Basketball was invented in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith who was just trying to find something for his students to do during a rainy day. So he literally put up peach baskets and used a soccer ball to throw in the basket. They used a ladder to climb up to get the ball down each time someone "scored". Eventually they cut holes in the baskets so they wouldnt have to climb up the ladder. Basketball has become one of the most popular sports around the world today. Learn more about basketball