Episode 3 of 4
Refusal of Naismith Ball
- When
- 1892
- Where
- Springfield College
Naismith refused calls to name the game "Naismith Ball" in 1892, preferring "basketball".
By 1892, the game's popularity led to calls to name it "Naismith Ball," but Naismith refused. He preferred the name "basketball" suggested by Frank Mahan, as it reflected the equipment used.
Sources
- James Naismith Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-29
- Basketball Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-08
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.