place_of_birth gal mekel
James Naismith ( November 6 , 1861  November 28 , 1939 ) was a ___MASK22___ - American physical educator , physician , chaplain , sports coach and innovator . He invented the game of basketball at age 30 in 1891 . He wrote the original basketball rule book and founded the University of Kansas basketball program . Naismith lived to see basketball adopted as an Olympic demonstration sport in 1904 and as an official event at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin , as well as the birth of the National Invitation Tournament ( 1938 ) and the NCAA Tournament ( 1939 ). ___MASK78___ , officially known as the State ___MASK1___ ___MASK78___ , is a country in the Middle East , on the southeastern shore ___MASK1___ the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore ___MASK1___ the Red Sea . It has land borders with Lebanon to the north , Syria to the northeast , Jordan on the east , the Palestinian territories ___MASK1___ the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the east and west , respectively , and Egypt to the southwest . The country contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area . ___MASK78___ ' s financial and technology ___MASK70___ is Tel Aviv , while its seat ___MASK1___ government and proclaimed capital is Jerusalem , although the state ' s sovereignty over the city ___MASK1___ Jerusalem is internationally unrecognized . Gal Mekel ( Hebrew :    , pronounced ( al mekel ) ; born March 4 , 1988 ) is an Israeli professional basketball player for Maccabi ___MASK55___ ___MASK1___ the Israeli Premier League . He played college basketball for two years at Wichita State . He then played in the Israeli Basketball Super League for Maccabi ___MASK55___ , Hapoel Gilboa Galil , and Maccabi Haifa , and in the Italian Serie A League for Benetton Treviso . He was a two - time Israeli Basketball Super League MVP , in 2011 and 2013 . In 2013 , he signed a three - year minimum fully guaranteed contract with the Dallas Mavericks , becoming the second Israeli to join the NBA . Silicon Wadi ( lit : " Silicon Valley ") is an area with a high concentration ___MASK1___ high - tech industries in the coastal plain in Israel , similar to Silicon Valley in California , in the United States . The area covers much ___MASK1___ the country , although especially high concentrations ___MASK1___ hi - tech industry can be found in the area around Tel Aviv , including small clusters around the cities ___MASK1___ Ra ' anana , ___MASK56___ , Herzliya , Netanya , the academic city ___MASK1___ Rehovot and its neighbour Rishon Le Zion . In addition , hi - tech clusters can be found in Haifa and Caesarea . More recent hi - tech establishments have been raised in Jerusalem , and in towns such as Yokneam Illit and Israel ' s first " private city ," Airport City , near Tel Aviv . Financial ___MASK70___ is a high - rise building located in the downtown area of ___MASK94___ , Iowa . Completed in 1973 and standing at 345 ft ( 105m ), it was the tallest building in the city and state until the completion of the Ruan ___MASK70___ in 1975 , and is currently the fourth tallest . The ___MASK44___ Jayhawks , commonly referred to as KU , are the teams ___MASK1___ the athletic department at the University ___MASK1___ ___MASK44___ . KU is one ___MASK1___ three schools in the state ___MASK1___ ___MASK44___ that participate in NCAA Division I . The Jayhawks are also a member ___MASK1___ the Big 12 Conference . University ___MASK1___ ___MASK44___ athletic teams have won eleven NCAA Division I championships : three in men ' s basketball , one in men ' s cross country , three in men ' s indoor track and field , three in men ' s outdoor track and field , and one in women ' s outdoor track and field . Gush Dan is a conurbation , including areas from both the ___MASK55___ and the ___MASK92___ Districts ___MASK1___ Israel , or sometimes the whole ___MASK1___ ___MASK55___ Metropolitan Area , which in current official designations includes a small part ___MASK1___ the Southern District ( Israel ) as well . The area is located along the Israeli Mediterranean coastline . The Gush Dan bloc is the largest conurbation and metropolitan area in Israel , the metropolitan area having an estimated population ___MASK1___ 3 , 713 , 200 residents , 95 % ___MASK1___ whom ( 3 , 527 , 900 ) are Israeli Jews . It houses about 45 % ___MASK1___ Israel ' s population . ___MASK55___ - Yafo is a major city in Israel , located on the country ' s Mediterranean coastline . It is known to be the financial ___MASK70___ and the technology hub of Israel , with a population of , making it Israel ' s second largest city . ___MASK55___ is the largest city in the Gush Dan region of Israel . ___MASK55___ is also a focal point in the high - tech concentration known as the " Silicon Wadi ". Basketball is a sport that is played by two teams ___MASK1___ five players on a rectangular court . The objective is to shoot a ball through a hoop in diameter and mounted at a height ___MASK1___ to backboards at each end ___MASK1___ the court . The game was invented in 1891 by Dr . James Naismith , who would be the first basketball coach ___MASK1___ the Kansas Jayhawks , one ___MASK1___ the most successful programs in the game ' s history .