On Dec. 15, 2015, the first-ever audio recording of Dr. James Naismith was released by the University of Kansas. The discovery of the 1939 interview is a major step toward learning more about the early stages of the game's development and the man himself.

The interview, though, is fascinating -- and entertaining -- because of the sheer rough-shod nature of the first-ever basketball game. According to Naismith, he made a "mistake" by not establishing much of any rules in the first game, leading to a "free-for-all in the middle of the gym floor" with "tackling, kicking and punching."

Fortunately, Naismith quickly came up with some rules to tame the game down in future matches, mostly to prevent players from running with the ball. Naismith proudly stated that "there were no casualties" after the second-ever basketball game.

The released recording is of a New York radio program called "We the People" hosted in New York by Gabriel Heatter and lasts just under three minutes. Here's a transcript for the few questions asked of Naismith:

You can listen to the full interview from the University of Kansas libraries here.