James Naismith was the inventor of basketball, but he also created the first football helmet. He was born on November 6, 1861 in Ontario, California. He died on November 28, 1939 in Lawrence, Kansas, at the age of 78. James Naismith had one brother and one sister. He graduated from Almonte High School, and went on to McGill University in Montreal for college. James Naismith was a gym teacher, professor, and a coach. James Naismith created basketball by handing a player a soccer ball, and challenged them to throw it in the basket. Naismith won many awards, and had many accomplishments. For example, in college he got second in the all-around athlete in college in 1885, and in 1887 he got first in that category. He didn’t only get athletic
