Canadians have played an important role in the history of basketball since the sport's beginnings in the late 19th century, when Dr. James Naismith of Ontario invented the game. Canadian players continue to play in the NBA and Canadian teams compete in the summer Olympics. NBA basketball players from Canada include Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns, Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire of the Miami Heat and Samuel Dalembert of the Philadelphia 76ers. Canadian Tammy Sutton-Brown plays for the WNBA team the Indiana Fever.
Invention of Basketball
Canadian Dr. James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 while working at the YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts. He needed an indoor game of skill for the YMCA's athletes to play during the winter. His original version of the sport involved nine-player teams and only 13 rules.
First Players
At least 10 of the 18 players that participated in the first basketball game in Springfield were university students from Quebec, according to NBA.com. In the first games in 1891, players shot a soccer ball at peach baskets hung 10 feet above the court. Players had to climb a ladder to retrieve the ball from the basket after each shot made.
NBA
In 1946, Toronto hosted the first game of the Basketball Association of America, which became the National Basketball Association in 1949. The New York Knickerbockers defeated the Toronto Huskies 68-66, according to NBA.com. In the 1990s, two Canadian teams joined the NBA, including the Toronto Raptors and the Vancouver Grizzlies, now the Memphis Grizzlies.
World Competition
Canada has sent national basketball teams to the Olympics ever since the sport's debut at the 1936 Berlin games, when the Canadian men's team won the silver medal. The men's team placed fourth in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal after defeating Japan, Cuba, Mexico and Australia. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, the men's team, led by Steve Nash, beat world champion Yugoslavia but lost to France in the quarterfinals and finished seventh overall. As of 2008, Canada has not earned an Olympic medal in basketball since 1936. Canada has also sent national teams to the World Championships since 1954. As of 2011, the Canadian team ranked 12th and the men's team ranked 23rd in the International Federation of Basketball's world rankings.
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