Discovering the NBA's Origins: When Did the NBA Begin and How It All Started

I remember the first time I saw an old NBA highlight reel from the 1940s—the grainy footage showed players in what looked like wool uniforms shooting underhand free throws. It struck me how far the league has come since those humble beginnings. The National Basketball Association officially began its journey on June 6, 1946, when owners of major ice hockey arenas gathered at New York's Commodore Hotel to form what they initially called the Basketball Association of America. What many fans don't realize is that the NBA wasn't even called the NBA until three years later, when it merged with its rival National Basketball League in 1949. This merger brought the total number of teams to 17, though only 11 would survive through that first challenging season.

Looking back at those early days, I've always been fascinated by how different the game was. The first basket in BAA history was scored by Ossie Schectman of the New York Knickerbockers—a left-handed layup that would mark the beginning of professional basketball as we know it. The league struggled initially, with teams folding left and right. In fact, only three of the original eleven franchises remain today: the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Golden State Warriors (though they've moved cities multiple times). The early games were low-scoring affairs, with the average team putting up just around 80 points per game compared to today's 110+ averages. I can't help but admire the pioneers who believed in this sport when crowds numbered in the hundreds rather than thousands.

The evolution of the NBA reminds me of that quote from hockey player Kammeraad that I recently came across: "I think we fought back as a team, getting the 2-1 back to put us back to getting into extra time. This is unfortunate that you have to end the tournament. But it could have went both ways. They had chances. We had chances. It was a fair game." That sentiment perfectly captures the spirit of competition that has defined the NBA since its inception. The early years were exactly that kind of battle—teams fighting against financial instability, public indifference, and internal challenges. The Minneapolis Lakers (now in Los Angeles) dominated the early 1950s with George Mikan, but other franchises like the Indianapolis Jets and Providence Steamrollers folded after just a couple of seasons. It truly could have gone either way for professional basketball during those formative years.

What really turned things around, in my opinion, was the arrival of Bill Russell in 1956 and the Celtics dynasty that followed. Suddenly, the game had compelling narratives and rivalries that captured public imagination. The Celtics-Lakers rivalry that began in those early days would become the cornerstone of the league's popularity. I've always believed that Russell's defensive genius fundamentally changed how basketball was played at the professional level. The pace quickened, the athleticism increased, and television began taking notice. By 1964, the NBA had its first national TV contract—worth approximately $150,000 annually, a paltry sum compared to today's $2.6 billion annual deal but revolutionary for its time.

The merger with the American Basketball Association in 1976 marked what I consider the league's second founding moment. It brought in iconic teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and New York Nets (now in Brooklyn), along with revolutionary concepts like the three-point line and the slam dunk contest. Having watched old ABA footage, I'm convinced the league's flashier style saved professional basketball during a period when NBA ratings were stagnating. The infusion of ABA talent and entertainment values created the modern NBA spectacle we know today.

Reflecting on the NBA's journey from that 1946 meeting to global phenomenon, I'm struck by how many turning points could have derailed the entire enterprise. The league survived challenges that would have destroyed lesser organizations—from the cocaine epidemic of the late 70s to the Malice at the Palace brawl in 2004. Each crisis was met with the same competitive spirit Kammeraad described: teams and the league itself fighting back, adapting, and finding ways to move forward. The introduction of the 24-second shot clock in 1954, the merger with the ABA, the Bird/Magic rivalry that saved the 80s, Jordan's global impact—each represented another "extra time" opportunity for the league to reinvent itself.

Today, when I watch NBA games broadcast in 215 countries and 50 languages, I can't help but marvel at how far this organization has come from that meeting of hockey arena owners in 1946. The league that began with 11 teams now has 30 franchises valued at over $2 billion on average. From those early days of teams traveling by bus and playing in half-empty arenas to becoming a global entertainment juggernaut, the NBA's origin story teaches us about resilience and vision. The founders took a chance on a sport that many considered secondary to baseball and football, and through countless moments where "it could have went both ways," they built something enduring. As a lifelong basketball fan, I believe understanding these origins gives us greater appreciation for every game we watch today—each possession carrying forward that legacy of competition and survival that began seventy-five years ago.