James Naismith Invents Basketball

James Naismith Invents Basketball

Today, we present an episode from our friends at History Daily: December 21, 1891: James Naismith invents a new sport to control a boisterous college gym class.

The Shot

One final shot leaves one city holding its breath. In this episode of Hysteria, host Judith Thomas (President and CEO of Indy Arts Council and Co-chair of the Local Organizing Committee for the 2026 Men’s Final Four in Indianapolis) relives the unforgettable 2010 national championship game between Butler University and Duke University, where hometown hero Gordon Hayward launched a half-court shot that nearly became the greatest ending in college basketball history. Through firsthand stories from Matt Howard and mascot Butler Blue II handler Michael Kaltenmark, we go inside Butler’s improbable run, the belief instilled by coach Brad Stevens that carried a mid-major to the brink, and the moment that still echoes across Indianapolis. It didn’t go in…but it changed everything.

Undefeated

Indiana football shocked the sports world with a perfect season and a 2026 national championship. But Hoosiers fans have seen perfection before. In this episode of Hysteria, we look back at the legendary Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team of 1976: the last men’s team to go undefeated and win a national title. Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame member Bill Benner talks with players Quinn Buckner, Kent Benson, and Bobby Wilkerson about how Bob Knight built a disciplined, mentally tough team that finished 32–0, capped by a championship win. Fifty years later, the 1976 Hoosiers remain the gold standard, and it’s a reminder that in Indiana, perfection is part of the story.

The Breakthrough

Women’s basketball is having a moment, but the rise of the game has been decades in the making. In this episode of Hysteria, host Julie Roe Lach (Executive Vice President External Relations and Community Engagement Pacers Sports & Entertainment) traces the journey from pioneers like Cheryl Miller who played with little national attention to today’s sold-out arenas and record-breaking audiences. Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings reflects on leading the Indiana Fever to the 2012 WNBA championship and watching the game evolve, while Lynn Holzman (Vice President for Women’s Basketball at NCAA) and Hall of Famer Debbie Antonelli (ESPN/CBS/Raycom/Westwood BasketballAnalyst) share how increased exposure, media investment, and unforgettable players like the Fever’s Caitlin Clark have pushed women’s basketball to new heights. The talent has always been there. Now the world is finally watching.

The Bubble

In 2020, the NCAA Tournament was canceled for the first time ever, leaving players across the country without their shot at March Madness. Less than a year later, the NCAA attempted something unprecedented: staging the entire tournament in a single city during a pandemic. In this episode of Hysteria, host Sarah Myers (Chief of Staff & Strategy at Indiana Sports Corp) takes listeners inside the 2021 NCAA Tournament bubble in Indianapolis. The NCAA's vice president of men's basketball, JoAn Scott, shares the behind-the-scenes story of canceling the 2020 tournament and the enormous challenge of bringing March Madness back safely with 68 teams in one city. Then, Indy volunteers Steve and Jennifer Sanner look back on washing more than 14 tons of team laundry while helping keep the tournament running. It’s the story of how Indianapolis, volunteers, and the NCAA pulled off one of the most complex sporting events ever attempted, and gave the country March Madness back.