1) Basketball was created in 1891 by Dr. James Naismith as a indoor game for winter at the YMCA Training College. 2) It has since evolved significantly from using peach baskets and a soccer ball to metal hoops and specialized balls and shoes, and is now played competitively around the world. 3) While the WNBA aims to provide a professional women's league similar to the NBA, its salaries and viewership remain much smaller in scale currently.