LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, some of the most talented athletes on earth. These men don't play football or baseball, they play basketball. Basketball, some call it the sport of legends, others say the game of kings, still others say it's boring, but in reality no one likes those people, and no one ever will. This is the origin of the game of basketball. On November 6, 1861, the great James Naismith was born in Ontario, Canada, to Mr. and Mrs. John and Margaret Naismith. As a child James was not very successful in school but excelled in physical activities, this prompted him to drop out of school and become a woodcutter. Soon after, he realized he needed to turn his life around, so he went back to school to earn a degree in physical education. He later got a job at a local YMCA in Springfield and was immediately tasked with finding a way to keep the men fit during the winter seasons. After many unsuccessful attempts, he finally settled on a sport in which players had to throw a soccer ball into a peach basket on either side of the gym. So on December 21, 1891 the newborn game known as basketball had its first official game, the final score 1-0. As time passed several basketball leagues were formed, the Basketball Association of America was founded in 1946 by the owners of the major ice hockey arenas in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Canada. In 1949 the BAA merged with another basketball league, the NBL, to create the currant league, the NBA. The NBA has been a huge hit with many people. This success has led it to what it is today, a multi-billion dollar association known for being made up of a wide variety of elite athletes. Today, basketball is one of the most popular games in the world...... middle of paper ... ...and now averages over 18.1 points per game. Everyone knows that LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki are among the best players in the NBA, but not all players are as gifted as them. Take Austin Rivers, for example, after playing for the Pelicans last year, he totaled over 74 turnovers with over 122 personal fouls, yet still receives an average salary of over $2.238 million! No matter what sport you might find interesting, basketball will always be one of the greatest. From China to France, from England to Australia, basketball is not just a game but a part of life. It doesn't matter if you're better than LeBron or worse than Austin, the real victory in basketball is the smile on your face when you hit that jumper, or make an assist on an alley-oop, or even dribble the ball down the court. Basketball is not only found in the dreams of young children, but is also found in the hearts of many.