Monday Milestone: Tip Off
This Week in History:
1946, November 1
Officially the precursor to the NBA begins, and is regarded as the birth of professional basketball in the United States.
The lights. The atmosphere. The excitement. Bill Russell rebounding in the paint, Dr J soaring above the rim. That signature hook shot from Kareem Abdul Jabaar. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird facing off. Michael Jordan flying through the air…
It’s been quite the journey. Classic basketball images have filled the screens of fans for decades, each era bringing with it a legacy, and writing a new chapter in the incredible history of the NBA as we know it today. But where did it all begin?
It was a time before the LA Lakers, the Chicago Bulls and the current champions, the Miami Heat. It was a time before the showmanship and the fanfare. It was a time before the game was infiltrated by the hundreds of millions of dollars that form each season of the modern NBA.
The Milestone parks the Delorean this week in 1946, curiously in Canada, where what is considered the first match in NBA history was played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. The match itself was a tight affair as the New York Knickerbockers defeated the local Toronto Huskies 68-66. Only 7,000 spectators attended – with anyone taller than George Nostrand, the Toronto centre at 6’8” given free entry. It’s a far cry from the sold out stadiums and season ticket holders of today.
These were the fledgling days of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), a concept borne from the owner of the Boston Garden, and several other owners of NHL venues who realised hockey rinks sat empty on many nights, and that these vacancies could be filled by basketball matches. A national basketball association was envisaged, placing teams in strategic cities that could develop a following and the professional league was formed.
Whilst many of these original franchises would fold when the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to create the NBA as we know it today,aside from the Providence Steamrollers who have the inauspicious honour of giving Rhode Island the briefest foray into professional sports, the strategy worked. Today Chicago, Detroit, Washington, Toronto and Cleveland host franchises (albeit different ones to the original teams). Each have proven their viability through the decades.
Three of the existing franchises, however did survive. The Philadelphia Warriors who would move firstly to San Francisco in the 1960s and then to Oakland to become Golden State, still play today. Arguably the most famous franchise, the Boston Celtics would indeed go on to fill the Garden every night as visualised, and become one of the most successful franchises in NBA history, whilst of course the New York Knickerbockers, to this day play out of Madison Square Garden, the strongest link between the modern age, and that first night back in 1946.
The game has come such a long way. Through Bill Russell rebounds, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hook shots, and Michael Jordan dunks, from a fledgling competition through to an association that reaches into the billions of dollars.
A journey that continues today.
The Milestone Five: Arguably the greatest NBA players in history
5. Wilt Chamberlain – holds the record for the only 100pt game in history. Combined with his 31,419 points and 23,924 rebounds, the numbers speak for themselves.
4. Magic Johnson – remarkable cornerstone of the Lakers success in the 1980s. With more than 17,000 points and 10,000 assists, five NBA titles and three finals MVPs, he has done it all.
3. Bill Russell – the centrepiece of the Celtics 1960s dynasty, with 14,522 points and 21,620 rebounds he holds a record eleven NBA titles.
2. Kareem Abdul Jabbar – remains the NBA’s all time leading scorer with 38,387 points over 1,560 matches. His 17,440 rebounds and 3,189 blocks place him in the all-time elite.
1. Michael Jordan – arguably the most exciting player to ever grace the NBA. Leading the NBA scoring in ten seasons, a nine-time All-Defensive First Team, and an average of 30.1 points per game, with more Finals points than any other player, MJ simply is the greatest.
