Unlocking the Naismith Letters

Robert Bernard
Feb 23, 2023
5 min read

Updated: Dec 5

and the Secret of the Parabola

written by Coach Robert

This commentary article offers a unique perspective into the game of basketball, drawing from the knowledge of renowned game inventor James Naismith. Featuring excerpts from the actual Naismith letters and reflections from the author, readers will gain a deeper understanding of how to correctly shoot the ball as well as insightful lessons on how to play the game.

As most of us basketball lovers already know, James Naismith was a Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain, and sports coach, best known as the inventor of the game of basketball. Fortunately for all of us, he documented the birth and formation of the game in what has come to be known as, The James Naismith Letters. These historic letters outline many aspects of the game, from the design of the court to the manner of play. Most importantly, they shed light on the proper way to shoot the ball.

Let's take a look at some excerpts from these letters to uncover a few important yet forgotten secrets.

Part 1: The Genesis

James Naismith's handwritten manuscript: a detailed account of the day the game was born.

He begins,

"The First Game: When Mr. Stubbins brot (sic) up the peach baskets to the gym I secured them on the inside of the railing of the gallery. This was about 10 feet from the floor, one at each end of the gymnasium.”

“I then put the 13 rules on the bulletin board just behind the instructors platform, secured a soccer ball and awaited the arrival of the class..”

Coach’s commentary: An important rule is that the player could not dribble, only pass or shoot. This is why these two fundamentals are the most important in basketball: because they focus and develop the critical skills that basketball is built upon. These skills also enhance one another once you learn how to do them properly and effectively.

Part 2: Not Too Rough

He wanted to create a non-contact, competitive sport.

“He goes on to discuss his students' reaction to the proposed game ("...the class did not show much enthusiasm..."), and his decision to begin the game with a jump ball ("...it would eliminate roughness and give each side an equal chance...”

Coach’s commentary: Naismith did not want to create a rough sport, such as rugby or even water polo. This was to be a game of marksmanship and physics!

“I had neither the advantage of age nor the benefit of experience to help me put this across. But I did then what I have found universally successful since. I gathered the class around the platform and frankly stated the difficulties confronting me”

Coach’s commentary: I feel for Naismith here in this excerpt. He was not of a youthful age to physically show the students all that the game could be. Nor did he have examples of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, Kobe, or Stephen Curry to prove basketball’s potential or value. Imagine teaching this game without the proof of its soon-to-be popularity, which exploded in the 1950/60’s-2000’s.

Part 3: Vertical vs. Horizontal Target

The hoop was designed for a high-arcing throw.

“Other points discussed include the placement of the goal's entry on a horizontal rather than vertical plane”

Coach's commentary: This point is of utmost importance! Pay attention! The students and Naismith began to discuss making the entrance of the goal horizontal, instead of vertical, as it is today. James Naismith foresaw that turning the goals horizontal would inadvertently create a game similar to throwing a football through a tire swing, with force and aggression, and a forward or flat/line drive throw. That would also make the game less about marksmanship and more about power. Like in water polo, soccer, or baseball.

“The idea occurred to me that if the goal was horizontal instead of vertical the player would be compelled to throw in a curve and force which made for roughness would be of no value. I then concluded that the goal into which the ball should be thrown would be horizontal. I then thought of a box, somewhat resembling our old rock, into which the ball should be tossed. It then occurred to me that the team would form a nine-man defense around the goal & it would be impossible to make a goal.”

Coach's commentary: This was a grand revelation by Naismith. He believed if he made the goal horizontal players would simply form a line and stand in front of the goal to prevent the opposing team from scoring. This was his concluding reason for leaving the goal vertical.

“The shot would need to be highly arched to win any chance of entering the goal.”

Coach’s commentary: My favorite part of this article. Naismith never spoke of form. He only mentioned a high-arcing shot. This is fundamental to the game of basketball, not form. A loft-style throw and support (or stance) to create that high arcing throw. That is all, nothing more, nothing less.

Coach’s notes: This graph shows us a few parabolic trajectories. Notice, the red, if the arc is too low your ball will travel to the back of the rim. Look at the blue, if the parabola created is too high then you will lose control of the shot and most likely come up short, or worse. And the green is perfectly 45 degrees, and, in between the other two. But beware, these arcs are all relative to where we are shooting from on the ground, aka your perspective. Since most of us are 6ft at best, and the hoop is 10ft, we need to consider where we are throwing the ball “from” to create this parabola.

Just to reach the rim, our ball has to ascend at least 4 feet. That’s already a lot of lift on our shot, but how do we get the ball up and over the rim? The blue and red lines will not work because we all know what it is like to throw the ball too high or too low. The middle line is around midway up the backboard, right where the crossbar sits! The crossbar is the top line of the small white square on the backboard. Trust me, I shot flat (red line) for 15 years growing up. Then, I experimented with the blue for quite a while too and it did not take long to realize that I cannot comfortably shoot that high and be accurate. Then it dawned on me, sending my ball to the height of the crossbar was perfect. High enough, and controllable.

When shooting, we aim for the front rim/links* because, with the perfect arc/trajectory, the ball will land just ahead of it. The arc will take the ball just over our aiming point. Not high enough and our ball will keep hitting our aiming point, which is the front rim/links*. Also, too outward and not upward, and the ball will fly past it, striking the back rim/board.

Final Thoughts:

In closing, basketball is not what most of us think it is. This is not a game of arrogance, winning, or trash talk. It is a game of marksmanship and physics. Both are controlled with hand-eye coordination, not form. Kyrie put it best, “This is an Art.” Sure, there has been much evolution to the game. Still, its core fundamentals remain. 10ft baskets, 6ft shooters, and high-arcing throws. Let us get back to the basics! Recover what has been lost. So, do not be afraid to shoot “up”, for that is what the game intended.

Lastly, percentages teach us that the best shooters shoot 30-40%. This means you will on average miss 6-7/10 attempts. More than half of your shots will be misses. So the game is essentially about missing. Statistics should show how inaccurate players like Kobe and Steph are. It would read Curry: 3pt-60% inaccurate. Kobe: 3pt-70% inaccurate. (They shoot a little better from the 2pt field goal, yet most still struggle from the foul line) DO NOT CARE ABOUT MISSES. What is worse is a player not taking the shot at all.

Shalom.