Herkimer's Bold Claim: The Untold Origins of Basketball

In the quiet town of Herkimer, New York, just off Main Street, Scott Flansburg sat confidently at Crazy Otto’s Empire Diner making an unconventional argument. Between bites of eggs, pancakes, and ham, he challenged the widely accepted story of basketball’s origin.

Flansburg contends that basketball was not invented by Dr. James Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1891, but rather by a teenager from Herkimer who conceived the game roughly a year earlier while tossing heads of cabbage into a basket.

Far from a fringe local character, Flansburg is internationally recognized as the Human Calculator for his remarkable ability to perform complex arithmetic instantly. He stands as one of Herkimer’s most notable figures, following in the footsteps of Lou Ambers, the 1930s world lightweight boxing champion.

Putting his mathematical talents aside, Flansburg has committed himself to promoting Herkimer’s claim in sports history. He has gathered local leaders to form the Herkimer 9 Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to revitalizing the town through basketball-themed initiatives, including a museum, events center, and a pavilion crowned by the world’s largest basketball.

“Basketball was invented right here on our Main Street,” Flansburg declared, gesturing toward the quiet avenue that awaits renewed activity.