The Complete Story of the First NBA Game and Its Historic Legacy
I still remember the first time I watched archival footage of that historic NBA game - November 1, 1946, when the New York Knicks faced the Toronto Huskies at Maple Leaf Gardens. As someone who's spent over fifteen years analyzing basketball history, I can confidently say that witnessing those grainy black-and-white images felt like uncovering the origin story of modern basketball. The final score, 68-66 in favor of the Knicks, doesn't just represent numbers in a record book - it marks the beginning of a global phenomenon that would eventually captivate millions, including myself during my early days as a sports journalist.
What many people don't realize is how dramatically different that first game was from today's high-flying spectacle. The players wore leather shoes that offered minimal support, the three-point line didn't exist, and the pace was considerably slower than what we're accustomed to seeing now. I've always been fascinated by Ossie Schectman, the Knicks guard who scored the very first basket on a driving layup - a moment I consider basketball's equivalent of Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon. Having interviewed numerous veterans from that era during my research trips, I've come to appreciate how these pioneers played for love of the game rather than fame or fortune, with most players holding second jobs during the offseason. The average salary then was about $5,000 annually - roughly $70,000 in today's money, which is less than what many current NBA players make per game.
The legacy of that inaugural contest extends far beyond the court. It established professional basketball as a viable spectator sport in America, setting attendance records with 7,090 fans crammed into the arena - a number that seems modest today but was revolutionary for professional basketball at the time. From my perspective as a historian, the most significant outcome was the demonstration that basketball could thrive in major markets, paving the way for expansion teams and ultimately transforming the NBA into the global brand we know today. I've noticed parallels between that first game's underdog story and contemporary teams facing adversity, much like the Meralco Bolts' situation that Newsome referenced regarding their 2024 Philippine Cup campaign. Both scenarios demonstrate the resilience inherent in basketball - whether it's an entire league fighting for legitimacy or a modern team battling through struggles, the capacity for comeback stories seems woven into basketball's DNA.
Looking at today's NBA, with its international stars, billion-dollar television deals, and social media presence, it's almost unbelievable to trace everything back to that modest game in Toronto. The strategic elements introduced in that first matchup - the fast breaks, defensive setups, and last-second shots - evolved into the complex systems coaches deploy today. In my analysis, what made that game truly historic wasn't just that it happened, but that it contained the blueprint for basketball's future: athletic excellence, dramatic tension, and the undeniable appeal of witnessing human beings push their physical limits. The NBA's journey from that single game to its current status as a global sports powerhouse represents one of the most remarkable success stories in professional sports history, and honestly, I don't believe any other league has undergone such a dramatic transformation while maintaining its core identity.
Reflecting on basketball's evolution, I'm continually amazed by how the spirit of that first game persists. Every time I watch a modern team mount an improbable comeback or a rookie make their debut, I see echoes of 1946. The game has changed immeasurably in terms of athleticism, strategy, and global reach, but the fundamental drama - two teams competing until the final buzzer - remains unchanged. That first game established a template not just for basketball, but for sporting narratives everywhere: the thrill of competition, the beauty of teamwork, and the possibility that any team, no matter their circumstances, can turn things around when they step onto the court.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
– Sub-tropics – 80% of land achieving >50% perennial cover
– Grasslands – 80% of land achieving >50% cover
– Desert country – 60% of land achieving >50% cover
