On This Day In History: November 1, 1946 – First NBA Game Played

On November 1, 1946, the New York Knickerbockers narrowly defeated the Toronto Huskies 68-66 in the inaugural NBA game. Leo Gottlieb led the Knickerbockers with a 14-point performance, thrilling the 7,090 spectators at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.

Despite their loss, the Huskies boasted the game’s highest scorers, with Ed Sadowski posting 18 points and George Norstrand adding 16. Norstrand, a towering 6-foot-8 center, was the focal point of a unique marketing effort, as a local newspaper offered free admission to fans taller than him. Tickets for everyone else ranged from 75 cents to $2.50.

At the time, the NBA was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA), a league that would merge with the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949 to become the NBA. The 11-team league featured only two franchises—Boston Celtics and New York Knicks—that remain in their original cities today. The Toronto Huskies were the sole Canadian team, and all players were white. The NBA saw its first Black player, Earl Lloyd , debut on October 31, 1950.

By the end of the 1946 season, the Knickerbockers secured third place in the Eastern Division with a 32-27 record. The Huskies, struggling throughout, finished last with a 22-38 record. The Philadelphia Warriors claimed the league's championship title that year.