What's so controversial about the quote?
Naismith invented basketball in 1891, and created the KU basketball program in 1898. He developed the sport during his time at KU, and lived to see basketball become an official Olympic event in 1936. Naismith became a US citizen in Lawrence and is buried in Lawrence. Phog Allen was instrumental in bringing the sport of basketball to the Olympics, and as the founder of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, he helped develop the NCAA tournament. Both men invented and innovated the sport, and their origins are in Lawrence, KS.
Those are simply the facts, ladies and gents.