Today, on December 21, is the 130th anniversary of basketball. Exactly on this day  James Naismith, a professor at the Springfield Youth Christian Association College, founded the sport.

On December 21, 1891, Naismith tied two baskets from under the peaches to the railings of the gym's balcony and divided the eighteen students into two teams, offering them a game where they should have thrown more balls into the opponents' basket.

Basketball has been on the program of the Olympic Games since 1936 (James Naismith was there as a guest). The Men's Regular World Basketball Championships have been held since 1950, the Women's Basketball Championships since 1953, and the European Championships since 1935.

The first basketball rules were formulated by James Naismith. They consisted of only 13 items. Over time, basketball changed, and the rules demanded some changes as well. The first international rules of the game were accepted in 1932 at the first FIBA Congress, after which they were repeatedly adjusted and changed, the last significant changes were made in 1998 and 2004. Since 2004, the rules of the game have remained unchanged.

Millions of people around the world and tens of thousands in Ukraine now play basketball.