Technically it was not the first game in NBA history.
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The NBA is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its 1st game on November 1, 1946. The match was played between New York Knicks and Toronto Huskies. But technically it was the first game of the BAA (Basketball Association of America).
NBA was formed 3 years later with the merger of BAA and NBL (National Basketball League). But NBA officially recognizes this game as their first game.
This is because any records and statistics of the BAA and NBL, prior to the merger are considered in official NBA history only if a player, coach or team participated in the newly formed NBA after 1949 for one or more seasons.
BBA was formed in 1964 and started with only 11 teams. Before the merger BAA had 16 teams out of which only 6 teams are still operating in NBA.
Ossie Schectman of New York Knicks scored the first basket of NBA. It was a simple give and go which ended up in a layup. New York knicks win the match with 68-66. If you compare it with today’s NBA average scoring(i.e 112.4 points), it is almost half.
Struggles of a professional league like the NBA at that time
In a retrospective video in 1996, Hall of Fame broadcaster Marty Glickman said that” The was a great deal of questioning whether or not it [Basketball] could be a major league sport at the outset ”
In the video Ossie Schectman of New York Knicks “We didn’t have the individual style of play. We didn’t have the size and the agility and the talent that they have today”.
That time Knicks player said “Non of the writers really believed that we are better than the college teams. So we actually had to go to their gyms to prove that we were better than the college teams”.
Looking back at that game Ossie Schectman said “Never in my wildest dream ever thought that it would elevate to way it is today.”
