Watch on Soap2day. Basketball legends including Michael Jordan, Steve Nash, Red Auerbach and John Wooden tell the amazing life story of Dr. James Naismith, the man who invented the game and inspired generations of players to reach for the rim. The athletes share their perspectives on the game and explain how Naismith developed the basic rules of the sport in just two weeks in 1891. Historical clips also feature the first-ever b-ball instructional film, from 1927.