On the recordSeptember 25, 2017
I stand in support of H.R. 1235, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act, which I introduced along with my colleague from Kentucky (Mr. Barr). People in Kentucky think that they invented basketball. It was actually invented in Massachusetts. But I want to thank him personally, as well as professionally, for the good work that he has done in helping to bring about this day. As the Hall of Fame celebrates its 125th anniversary of the invention of basketball, this commemorative coin symbolizes all the sport has accomplished since its humble beginnings in a YMCA gymnasium in Springfield, Massachusetts. This truly American game continues to be played by men and women at every level and on every continent. In December of 1891, a physical education professor named Dr. James Naismith created a game with a simple objective: throw a round ball into a peach basket that was suspended 10 feet above the ground. While only one basket was made available during those first games, it would soon become quite popular with students. Thanks to the network of YMCAs throughout the country and the game's success on various college campuses, the sport soon became a national phenomenon. By 1894, basketball was being played around the Nation and in dozens of countries around the world. During the 1920s and 1930s, teams like the Original Celtics and the New York Renaissance carried professional basketball to the national conscience for the first time.…
