Basketball has had many forms over the last three thousand years.

But we don't have to go too far back to trace the origins of the modern game.

Just over 110 years in fact, and we travel across the Atlantic ocean to look for a man called Naismith.

Britain has invented many different sports but a Canadian PE teacher takes the credit for this one.

Dr James Naismith was teaching at college in America, and needed something to help his boring gym lessons.

Naismith was desperate for a new indoor game to get his kids active and healthy.

The game's a peach

He was set on using a ball and didn't want the players just to run with it.

And then thought it would be more fun if the goals were raised.

Dr Naismith came up with 13 basic rules, hung peach baskets up in the gym and hoped his students would play.

He wasn't disappointed. Hundreds joined in.

He didn't make a penny from his invention, but he had seen his new game introduced as a new Olympic sport in 1936.

Just three years before he passed away.