1947–48 BAA season
| 1947–48 BAA season | |
|---|---|
| League | Basketball Association of America |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | November 12, 1947 – March 21, 1948 March 23–April 8, 1948 (Playoffs) April 10–21, 1948 (Finals) |
| Number of games | 48 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Clifton McNeely |
| Picked by | Pittsburgh Ironmen |
| Regular season | |
| Top scorer | Max Zaslofsky (Chicago) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | Philadelphia Warriors[a][b] |
| Eastern runners-up | St. Louis Bombers[a] |
| Western champions | Baltimore Bullets[a] |
| Western runners-up | Chicago Stags[a] |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Baltimore Bullets |
| Runners-up | Philadelphia Warriors |
The 1947–48 BAA season was the second season of the Basketball Association of America. (Following its third, 1948–49 season, the BAA and National Basketball League merged to create the National Basketball Association or NBA.) The postseason tournament at its conclusion, the 1948 BAA Playoffs, ended with the Baltimore Bullets winning the BAA Championship, beating the Philadelphia Warriors 4 games to 2 in the BAA Finals. Although not celebrated at the time, the season was historic, with Wataru Misaka becoming the first person of color to play in modern professional basketball.[1]
The NBA recognizes the three BAA seasons as part of its own history, sometimes without comment,[2] so BAA 1947–48 is sometimes considered the second NBA season.
Notable occurrences
| Offseason | ||
|---|---|---|
| Team | 1946–47 coach | 1947–48 coach |
| New York Knicks | Neil Cohalan | Joe Lapchick |
| Providence Steamrollers | Robert Morris | Albert Soar |
| In-season | ||
| Team | Outgoing coach | Incoming coach |
| Providence Steamrollers | Albert Soar | Nat Hickey |
Preseason events
Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Toronto folded before the season started, leaving the BAA with only seven teams. The Baltimore Bullets were brought into the league from the American Basketball League to provide a more convenient number, eight.
Final standings
Eastern Division
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Western Division
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Statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Max Zaslofsky | Chicago Stags | 1,007 |
| Assists | Howie Dallmar | Philadelphia Warriors | 120 |
| FG% | Bob Feerick | Washington Capitols | .340 |
| FT% | Bob Feerick | Washington Capitols | .788 |
Note: Prior to the 1969–70 season, league leaders in points and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.
BAA awards
- All-BAA First Team
- C Ed Sadowski, Boston Celtics
- F Joe Fulks, Philadelphia Warriors
- F Howie Dallmar, Philadelphia Warriors
- F Bob Feerick, Washington Capitols
- G Max Zaslofsky, Chicago Stags
- All-BAA Second Team
- BAA Rookie of the Year
Notes
- ^ a b c d The 1948 BAA Playoffs did not generate Eastern and Western champions and runners-up, as NBA Playoffs have done from 1951 to present. Eastern and Western leaders, or perhaps champions, Philadelphia and St. Louis played off to determine one finalist while four runners-up played off to determine the other finalist.
The listed teams were BAA playoff finalists and semifinalists, as Eastern and Western champions and runners-up in the NBA have been playoff finalists and semifinalists from 1951 to present. - ^ Philadelphia may reasonably be called Eastern champion.
References
- ^ "New York Times". New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
- ^ "NBA Season Recaps". NBA History (nba.com/history). July 1, 2014. Retrieved 2015-03-04.
External links
- NBA History at NBA.com
- 1947–48 BAA Season Summary at Basketball-Reference.com