The first game of basketball was played in 1891 at Springfield University and was invented by Canadian James Naismith. He created the game to keep his PE class entertained on rainy days, using a peach basket nailed to the wall. Over time, the rules and equipment evolved, with metal hoops and nets replacing the peach basket in 1906. Today, basketball is played professionally in the NBA by 30 teams competing over a season for the championship title.