1946-47 BAA season

1946–47 BAA season
League	Basketball Association of America
Sport	Basketball
Regular season
Top scorer	Joe Fulks (Philadelphia Warriors)
Playoffs
Eastern champions	Philadelphia Warriors
Eastern runners-up	New York Knicks
Western champions	Chicago Stags
Western runners-up	Washington Capitols
Finals
Finals champions	Philadelphia Warriors
Runners-up	Chicago Stags
BAA/NBA seasons
	1947–48 →

The 1946–47 BAA season was the inaugural season of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the league that would eventually become the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league launched with 11 franchises playing a 60 game schedule. The season ended with the Philadelphia Warriors becoming the BAA's first champions, beating the Chicago Stags 4 games to 1 in the BAA Finals.

Notable events

• On November 1, 1946, in the inaugural game of the new league, the New York Knicks beat the Toronto Huskies 68-66 in front of 7,090 spectators at Maple Leaf Gardens. Ossie Schectman scored the opening basket for the Knickerbockers. Schectman and his teammates Sonny Hertzberg, Stan Stutz, Hank Rosenstein, Ralph Kaplowitz, Jake Weber, and Leo "Ace" Gottlieb went on to win the opening game 68 – 66 and finish the season with a 33 – 27 record. In 1949, the BAA became the National Basketball Association (NBA), and Schectman's shot is considered the first basket in NBA history.

"The First Basket". http://thefirstbasket.com/story.html. 

Standings

Eastern Division Team W L PCT. GB Washington Capitols 49 11 .817 – Philadelphia Warriors C 35 25 .583 14 New York Knicks 33 27 .550 16 Providence Steamrollers 28 32 .467 21 Boston Celtics 22 38 .367 27 Toronto Huskies 22 38 .367 27

Western Division Team W L PCT. GB Chicago Stags 39 22 .639 – St. Louis Bombers 38 23 .623 1 Cleveland Rebels 30 30 .500 8½ Detroit Falcons 20 40 .333 18½ Pittsburgh Ironmen 15 45 .250 23½

C - BAA Champions

League leaders

Category	Player	Team	Stat
Points	Joe Fulks	Philadelphia Warriors	1,389
Assists	Ernie Calverley	Providence Steamrollers	202
FG%	Bob Feerick	Washington Capitols	40.1%
FT%	Fred Scolari	Washington Capitols	81.1%

Note: Prior to the 1969-70 season, league leaders in points and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.

League awards

• All-BAA First Team
  • G Max Zaslofsky, Chicago Stags
  • F Bones McKinney, Washington Capitols
  • F Joe Fulks, Philadelphia Warriors
  • C Stan Miasek, Detroit Falcons
  • F Bob Feerick, Washington Capitols
• All-BAA Second Team
  • G John Logan, St. Louis Bombers
  • G Ernie Calverley, Providence Steamrollers
  • C Chick Halbert, Chicago Stags
  • G Frankie Baumholtz, Cleveland Rebels
  • G Fred Scolari, Washington Capitols

External links

• Basketball-reference season page
• Jewish Basketball Documentary