Original Basketball Rules Could Bring Millions

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Oct 28th 2010 at 8:01PM

The NBA basketball season recently kicked off with plenty of trades, drama and dreams of championships. How did this game turn into one of the world's most popular sports? Part of the legacy of basketball can be traced back to the pieces of paper shown above, the 13 rules for basketball that James Naismith wrote down in 1891. Naismith, a physical education instructor at a YMCA training school in Springfield, Massachusetts, had been charged with coming up with a new indoor activity for his gym class. The simple set of rules went on to define a new sport that caught on like wildfire. Naismith died in 1939, three years after basketball became an official Olympic sport.

On December 10 those rules will be put up for auction at Sotheby's in New York and are expected to bring in at least $2 million. The proceeds will go to the Naismith International Basketball Foundation, which promotes sportsmanship and provides services to underprivileged youths. Ian Naismith, a grandson of James Naismith, said it was a family decision to auction off the rules and put the money back into the foundation.

"We need to take the money and work the money back into kids," Ian Naismith told The Associated Press. "We call it recycling. With the economy going south the last couple of years, my stroke, my wife passing away, it was more important to me to have the game go back into the kids. It's what Dr. Naismith wanted." The rules could bring in over $2 million.

The Sotheby's auction on December 10 will also feature Robert F. Kennedy's copy of the Emancipation Proclamation, one of only 26 copies signed by Abraham Lincoln, and a battle flag recovered from the Battle of Little Bighorn.

Tags: basketball rules, james naismith, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, NaismithMemorialBasketballHallOfFame, SothebysInternationalRealty

Filed under: Auctions, Sports

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

robertwrh Oct 28th 2010 11:05PM

seems like something that belongs in the smithsonian museum

rather than on someone's wall. Invented by a Canadian and played by countless generations of boys and girls around the world it seems this belongs to more than just a foundation needing cash.

Dee Dee Rhodes Oct 29th 2010 8:08AM

Hopefully the person that buys this will "loan" it to someplace like the smithsonian, this is a gift to the world...not just the NBA!

kpingzing Nov 1st 2010 7:38AM

Are these the rules that dint allow traveling and air dribbling. These are the rules before they were dumbed down and basketball became the joke it is today. Not only shouldnt they sell them they should start to use them again.

Dave Nov 1st 2010 9:06AM

Should be in the NBA hall of fame...oh...wait...the rules have little to do with how the current NBA game is played. Nevermind! Another vote for the Smithsonian.

Harry013 Nov 1st 2010 9:17AM

The original rules of basketball made no mention of "dribbling" the ball at all. A round ball was used to prevent the players from tucking it under their arms and running with it like a football. It was meant to be a gentile sport in comparison to football.

CCW Man Nov 1st 2010 12:37PM

I wonder if the first basketball players had 8 kids by 6 different women in 5 different states? I wonder how many were arrested? I "aks" you this already knowing the answer.

Chaz Goodman Nov 1st 2010 12:59PM

Basketball is still a great game. With the Skills, strength, and over all size of todays players, it would be almost impossible to play by the original rules. If you hate NBA ball, start watching college ball. The woman are really great to watch. One other thing about B-Ball; It does help keep some kids out of trouble.

george stray Nov 1st 2010 1:16PM

Its the property of the grandkids. It is theirs to do with as they please. It is the hope of many downtrodden to aspire to great hights .Americans aren't the only people to play. Probably a billion or two have played and love the game. The NBA is a spec in the grand scheme of basketball. So many play the game and exercise rules of sportsmanship and fair play it deserves the Smithsonian,but its not ours to put there. I hope someone buys and puts it there. George