Doyouknowwhenbasketballwasinvented? 　　IfyoutravelaroundChinayouwillnoticeaverypopularactivityeverywhereyougo—basketball.Thismuch-lovedandactivesportisenjoyedbymany,forfunandexercise. 　　Thesportofbasketballisalittleoverahundredyearsold.Itisplayedbymorethan100millionpeopleinover200countriesincludingChina,wherebasketballhasbeenplayedinparks,schools,andeveninfactories. 　　BasketballwasinventedbyaCanadiandoctornamedJamesNaismith,whowasbornin1861.Whenhewasatcollege,hisclasswasonceaskedtoinventanewgamethatcouldbeplayedindoorsduringthelongwinters.DrNaismithcreatedagametobeplayedonahardwoodenfloor,sothesafetyoftheplayedwasimportant.Knockingintoplayersandfallingdownwouldbedangerous. 　　DrNaismithdividedthemeninhisclassintotwoteamsandtaughtthemhowtoplayhisnewgame.Theaimofbasketballisforplayerstogetaballintothe“basket”:anethangingfromametalhoop.Playersshootfrombelowthebasketandmayusethe“backboard”forguidingtheballintothebasket.Playersmovetowardsoneendofthecourtwhilethrowingtheballtoeachother. 　　ItisbelievedthatonDecember21st,1891,thefirstbasketballgameinhistorywasplayed.Thenin1936inBerlin,itbecameanOlympicevent.AteamfromChinatookpart,andalthoughtheydidn'twintheyusedtheexperiencetohelpdevelopthegameathome.Sincethen,thepopularityofbasketballhasrisenworldwide,andthenumberofforeignplayersinAmerica’sNBA(NationalBasketballAssociation)hasincreased.Basketballhasalsobecomeamorepopularsportforpeopletowatch,andmanyyoungpeopledreamofbecomingfamousbasketballplayers.