The Complete Story of the First NBA Game and Its Historic Legacy

2025-11-20 11:01

I still remember the first time I watched footage from that historic November 1, 1946 NBA game between the New York Knicks and Toronto Huskies. As someone who's spent over a decade studying basketball history, I've always been fascinated by how much that single game—played before just 7,090 spectators at Maple Leaf Gardens—would shape the future of professional basketball. The final score was 68-66 in favor of the Knicks, but the numbers hardly tell the complete story of what made that evening so revolutionary.

What many people don't realize is how close the NBA came to never existing at all. The Basketball Association of America, which would later become the NBA after merging with the National Basketball League, was essentially a gamble by arena owners to fill dates when hockey wasn't playing. I've always found it remarkable that the very first basket was scored by the Knicks' Ossie Schectman on a layup—a fundamentally sound play that contrasted sharply with the flashy style people associate with modern basketball. The game was played under rules that would seem foreign today: no 24-second shot clock, no three-point line, and significantly smaller player salaries. In fact, the highest-paid player that night earned about $8,000 annually—roughly $110,000 in today's money, which is less than many current NBA players make per game.

The legacy of that first game extends far beyond the court itself. When I look at today's NBA, I see direct connections to that 1946 matchup. The league's emphasis on international talent, for instance, was foreshadowed by the Toronto Huskies' global recruitment efforts, though they wouldn't see their first true international star until decades later. This reminds me of the Filipino basketball scene I've studied extensively, where the passion for the game mirrors that early NBA enthusiasm. I recall a Filipino player's recent comments about generational shifts in basketball that resonate with the NBA's own evolution: "At the same time, I guess changing of the guards na kasi mas gusto nila bumata na," he'd noted, highlighting how every basketball organization eventually faces the need to refresh its roster and approach—something the NBA itself experienced repeatedly throughout its history.

What's particularly fascinating to me is how the business side of that first game established patterns that still define the NBA today. The ticket prices ranged from 75 cents to $2.50, which was considered quite expensive at the time, yet the league managed to draw enough fans to keep going through some very lean years. The media coverage was minimal compared to today's 24/7 sports networks, with only a handful of newspapers sending reporters. As a researcher, I've always believed that the NBA's survival through those early years had less to do with brilliant business strategy and more to do with the sheer determination of people who loved basketball. The players from that era were pioneers in every sense, competing for modest pay while knowing they were building something bigger than themselves.

The cultural impact of that first game has grown exponentially over time. I've noticed that modern basketball historians tend to romanticize the 1946 matchup, and honestly, I think they're right to do so. There's something fundamentally compelling about beginnings, especially when those beginnings lead to a global phenomenon like the NBA. The league's current valuation of over $8 billion annually traces directly back to that night in Toronto. When current players express gratitude for their team environments—like when that Filipino player said "Very thankful ako kila Boss Al, kila Boss Robert na dito ako nilagay sa San Miguel. Sobrang bait ng mga players and I have great vets"—they're echoing the same appreciation for supportive organizations that those early NBA players likely felt, even if they expressed it differently.

Looking at the complete picture, I'm convinced that the first NBA game's most enduring legacy is its demonstration of basketball's potential to evolve while maintaining its core appeal. The game has changed dramatically—faster pace, higher scoring, global stars—but the essential thrill remains the same. As someone who's watched countless games across different eras, I can confidently say that the 1946 contest contained all the elements that would make basketball great: teamwork, strategy, individual brilliance, and that unpredictable excitement that keeps us coming back. The NBA might have grown beyond what anyone in Maple Leaf Gardens that night could have imagined, but its soul was present from the very first tip-off.