On This Date in Sports November 1, 1946: Birth of the NBA
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
The Basketball Association of America plays its first game as the Toronto Huskies host the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens. There are 7,090 fans on hand as Ossie Schectman of the Knicks scores the first basket. New York would edge Toronto 68-66, as Leo Gottlieb led the way with 14 points, while Toronto got a game-high 18 points from Ed Sadowski. The BAA was founded by arena owners looking to find more events besides hockey. In its first season, it consisted of 11 teams, including the Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia Warriors. The BAA would merge with the NBL and became the NBA in 1949, with the National Basketball Association, considering its first three seasons as the BAA part of its history.
The Basketball Association of America was not the first professional basketball league. The American Basketball League played founded in 1925 in Eastern cities, while the National Basketball League formed in 1937 played in the midwest. Those two leagues played in small venues, using high school gyms and local ballrooms. The BAA was the first major league professional basketball league, utilizing arenas that were home to NHL teams. The arena owners were behind the birth of the new league wanting to fill the arena on more nights following World War II.
Maurice Podoloff, who was the President of the American Hockey League, was chosen as the first president of the BAA. He had been a driving force in the idea of professional basketball at the arenas that were home to hockey teams but wanted more events in their buildings. The new league would have 11 teams, with the Boston Celtics, New York Knickerbockers, Philadelphia Warriors, Providence Steamrollers, Toronto Huskies, and Washington Capitols making up the Eastern Division. While the Chicago Stags, Cleveland Rebels, Detroit Falcons, Pittsburgh Ironmen, and St. Louis Bombers made up the Western Division.
From the start, the BAA had the feel of a top-level professional league, as players wanted to join the league, especially with the Knicks playing their games at Madison Square Garden and the Boston Celtics playing at the Boston Garden. The first season would see the Philadelphia Warriors win the league championship, beating the Chicago Stags in the Championship series. While the BAA had its growing pains, with teams coming and going in the first ten years, a merger with the NBL in 1949 would cement the league's future as it changed its name to the National Basketball Association. Maurice Podoloff's contribution remains a large part of the NBA as the MVP award carries his name.