4 things to know about the Christian origins of basketball
3. Naismith did not profit from his invention
Despite creating what would go on to become one of the world’s most popular sports, Naismith never earned a penny from his invention and died in 1939 before its commercial success.
Naismith, who endured hardship and even orphanhood as a young boy in Ontario, Canada, before his conversion to Christianity, was quoted as saying, “You will see that the aim of the game is to develop the man and not to make money or even to draw a crowd.”
After creating the sport, he went on to become a medical doctor, all while continuing to serve at the YMCA.
