<human>:  Can you tell me something about the history of basketball?
<bot>: Basketball was invented in 1891 by Canadian Physical Education instructor James Naismith. While working at a YMCA in Springfield, Massachusetts, he was tasked with creating a new sport that could be played indoors during the cold winter months. Naismith's solution was to rig two peach baskets at either end of the gymnasium and then create rules centered around throwing a soccer ball into the baskets. By the early 1900s, the rules of basketball had been formalized, and the game began to gain popularity in schools, universities and recreational clubs. Today, basketball is one of the most iconic and beloved sports in the world.