The Inventor

Tells
His Own Story

BASKETBALL

as

AT SEL
lntreduction by CLAIR BEE

 

BASKETBALL

Its Origin and Development

by James Naismith

 

Much has been written concerning bas-
ketball in the fifty years of its existence,
but for every lover of the sport the real
“MUST” in reading is Dr. Naismith’s
own fascinating story of the game he
founded.

In this autobiography the father of bas-
ketball takes you through all the phases
of the game since its introduction at
Springfield in 1891 until today when it
is played in nearly every nation in the
world. It is a thrilling story that makes
basketball even more exciting to play
and more fascinating to watch.

BASKETBALL belongs in every fan’s
library.

200 pages — Illustrated

 

 

 

ASSOCIATION PRESS
347 Madison Avenue
New York, N. Y.

Lewant= <2... copies of James Naismith’s own

story of BASKETBALL @ $2.00 each.

( ) check enclosed ( ) send C. O. D.

 

BASKETBALL MEANS
SPORTSMANSHIP

(Continued from page 7)
to olden days, who practice the obsolete code: “win
at any cost.” To acquire a star player with a tar-
nished “amateur” record, there are some coaches
who “forget” (if they think they can get away with
it) the elemental rules of right and wrong. They
encourage ineligible young men to answer amateur
registration blank questions untruthfully, and per-
jurously vouch for the true amateur standing of
such applicants. As advisors to young men during
their character forming years, athletic officials older
and more experienced than most players should
teach the oncoming generation that no game is
worth winning at the expense of decency and fair
play. :

If competition is specifically designated for ama-
teurs only, why should second-grade professionals
or so-called “semi-pros” unfairly intrude? And
why should otherwise unapproachable officials aid
such deception? The modern professional athlete,
be he physical director, coach, referee, or paid
player in any sport, has good reason to be proud
of his personal prestige and sportsmanship stan-
dards. It is not good sportsmanship, by any code,
if a coach or physical director aids an obviously
ineligible player to enlist as an amateur and un-
fairly compete against true amateurs.

Happily the type I criticize is few in number.
I hope the time is near when he will completely
disappear from our athletic life. Basketball is today
on a high plane. It should not and need not tolerate
this small number of men who are out of step with
this great game which typifies the best in our Amer-
ican life: hard, clean competition, with rules ap-
plied fairly and equally to all!

Basketball indeed has grown, even in the short
span of a single life, as I view it. And through the
years it has provided a tremendous amount of
pleasure and personal benefits, not only to the col-
legians and the professionals, but to untold thou-
sands of working boys who pursue the sport in
athletic clubs, Y.M.C.A.’s, Catholic Youth organi-
zations, Y.M.H.A.’s, playgrounds, industrial recre-
ational groups, etc.

I don’t know of any other activity in our coun-
try that has done more to make our youth mentally
alert and physically fit than basketball. We can face
the future as a nation with full confidence that
basketball and our other athletic sports will prove
of vital value in any test which may confront us.