Basketball in Canada Basketball in Canada Basketball in Canada dates back to the 20th century. The sport is played year-round by men and women and various levels of competition. Several professional basketball leagues have teams based in Canada. James Naismith, a Canadian who moved to the United States, invented basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts in the 1890s. This new sport soon became popular as an indoor sport that needed a minimal equipment, gaining popularity at high schools and colleges in Canada. In Canada, the sport has long lived in the shadow of ice hockey, but in the early 21st Century the sport saw a
Steven Naismith the club until at least May 2015. After the new year, Naismith scored the winning goal in the Scottish League Cup semi final against Motherwell at Hampden Park. He was then sent off in the 2–2 draw with Celtic at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup after a second yellow card. Goals against Motherwell, Dundee United and St Johnstone took his tally to 11 for the season. Naismith then scored two goals in a 5–0 win over Motherwell in April 2011 In the final game of the 2010–11 season, Naismith scored in the 5–1 win over Kilmarnock which won the league