Naismith vs Rickard: He Invented Basketball for Free, This Man Made Millions Off Sport

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JAMES NAISMITH vs TEX RICKARD go head to head — and every jab is rooted in real history.

JAMES NAISMITH

I invented the game in 1891 to keep restless boys busy through a New England winter, and I never took a dime for the rules.

TEX RICKARD

And that, Doctor, is precisely why your peach basket needed me, I built Madison Square Garden and put paying crowds in every seat.

JAMES NAISMITH

The joy of the game was the point, not the gate receipts, thirteen rules and a ball can teach character to any child who cannot afford your ticket.

TEX RICKARD

Character fills no arena, Doctor, spectacle does, and every packed house roaring tonight is my invention as surely as the hoop is yours.

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