78 Years Ago Today, The NBA Was Founded In The Commodore Hotel Meeting
The NBA is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious and popular professional sports leagues in the world. It has a rich history that traces back to a pivotal moment in 1946 when a group of basketball enthusiasts gathered at the Commodore Hotel in New York City. This meeting happened exactly 78 years ago today.
In the aftermath of World War II, basketball was gaining traction as a beloved sport across the United States. Several professional basketball leagues existed at the time, such as the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL). Recognizing the potential for a unified league, a meeting was convened at the Commodore Hotel on June 6, 1946.
Representatives from eleven basketball teams, namely the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Rebels, New York Knicks, Chicago Stags, Philadelphia Warriors, Providence Steamrollers, Pittsburgh Ironmen, St. Louis Bombers, Toronto Huskies, Washington Capitols, and Detroit Falcons, gathered to discuss the formation of a centralized league. At the forefront of this discussion were Maurice Podoloff, the president of the BAA, and Walter Brown, the owner of the Boston Celtics.
After intense negotiations and deliberations, the decision was made to merge the BAA and the NBL, forming the National Basketball Association. On August 3, 1949, the NBA was officially recognized as the premier professional basketball league in the United States. Maurice Podoloff was elected as the first NBA commissioner, and the league began its inaugural season.
The Commodore Hotel meeting marked a turning point in the history of professional basketball, as it laid the groundwork for a unified league that would shape the sport for generations to come.
