Although the league still bears the name BAA (Basketball Association of America), that first season in 1946/47 has since been considered the first in NBA history. The merger between the two entities, BAA and NBL, which will give birth to the NBA in its current form will not take place until 1949.
This first exercise takes place in relative anonymity. Admittedly, the matches of this league take place in big cities like New York, Philadelphia and Boston, but the big star of basketball is then George Mikan and the latter plays in the NBL… until 1948.
Moreover, television is still very marginal in American homes and only a few articles in local newspapers report on this new competition.
A player stands out as the star of the BAA: Joe Fulks. This winger is the league’s leading scorer and, like Ken Sailors, he is revolutionizing basketball with his outside shot. A member of the Philadelphia Warriors, he carried them to the first Finals, against the Chicago Stags, after eliminating St. Louis and New York in the playoffs.
On April 22, 1947, the Warriors won Game 5 by the score of 83-80 and thus won the Finals 4-1. Joe Fulks shot to 26.2 points per game during this series, which is still huge considering the average of his team (80 points scored only).
The now first champions of the BAA, therefore of the NBA, will each receive the reward of 2,000 dollars.
