By the 1940s, basketball was one of America’s most popular sports. People of all ages played the game, and college teams had fans across the nation. Professional basketball, however, received little attention. Pro hoops had many teams and leagues, but few fans.
Pro basketball finally hit the big time on November 1, 1946. On that date, the National Basketball Association played its first game. The NBA looked a lot different then. For one thing, it was called the Basketball Association of America (it became the NBA in 1949). The jump shot was new. Most shooters kept both feet on the floor. The players were not as tall as today’s stars. In addition, the NBA did not have any African-American players until its fifth season (1950-51).
The NBA had 11 teams in its first season. Three of those franchises are still playing: the Boston Celtics, the Golden State Warriors, and the New York Knicks. The Warriors, then based in Philadelphia, won the first NBA Finals in 1947.
The NBA struggled to survive those early years. The games had too many fouls and too few points. Many teams folded. In the 1950s, rule changes cut down on rough play. Then, in 1954, the League introduced the 24-second shot clock, and scoring took off. The NBA has been soaring ever since.