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
Jason Naismith a 72nd-minute substitute, replacing Marcus Fraser. The match ended in a 1–1 draw. Jason Naismith Jason Naismith (born 25 June 1994) is a Scottish professional footballer, who plays as a defender for EFL League One club Peterborough United. Naismith has previously played for St Mirren, Greenock Morton, Cowdenbeath and Ross County. He has also represented Scotland in youth internationals, including one game at under-21 level. Naismith was born in Paisley. A member of St Mirren's under-19 squad, Naismith made his first team debut as a substitute on 25 February 2012 against Aberdeen in the Scottish Premier League. In May 2012,