#OnThisDay in history, the founder of modern basketball was born. Dr. James Naismith was born in Almonte, Ontario in 1861 to Scottish immigrants. Growing up, Naismith spent most of his days outside playing catch, hide-and-seek, and duck on a rock, a game in which a person guards a large drake stone from opposing players, who try to knock it down by throwing smaller stones at it. Naismith later entered McGill University in Montreal, where he played Canadian football, lacrosse, rugby, and soccer.