1947–48 BAA season

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.[1]) The postseason tournament (the 1948 BAA Playoffs), at its conclusion ended with the Baltimore Bullets winning the BAA Championship, beating the Philadelphia Warriors 4 games to 2 in the BAA Finals.

1947–48 BAA season
LeagueBasketball Association of America
SportBasketball
Duration
  • November 12, 1947 – March 21, 1948
  • March 23–25, 1948 (Play-in tournaments)
  • March 23 – April 8, 1948 (Playoffs)
  • April 10–21, 1948 (Finals)
Number of games48
Number of teams8
Draft
Top draft pickClifton McNeely
Picked byPittsburgh Ironmen
Regular season
Top seedSt. Louis Bombers
Top scorerMax Zaslofsky (Chicago)
Playoffs
Eastern championsPhiladelphia Warriors[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]
  Eastern runners-upSt. Louis Bombers[lower-alpha 1]
Western championsBaltimore Bullets[lower-alpha 1]
  Western runners-upChicago Stags[lower-alpha 1]
Finals
ChampionsBaltimore Bullets
  Runners-upPhiladelphia Warriors

Although not celebrated at the time, this season was historic, with Wataru Misaka of the New York Knicks becoming the first person of color to play in modern professional basketball.[2]

The NBA recognizes the three BAA seasons as part of its own history, sometimes without comment,[3] so the 1947–48 BAA season is sometimes considered the second NBA season.

Notable occurrences
Coaching changes
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

Western Division

Playoffs
Main article: 1948 NBA Playoffs
  First Round Semifinals BAA Finals
                           
  W2 Baltimore 2  
E2 New York 1  
  W3 Chicago 0  
    W2 Baltimore 2  
E3 Boston 1
  W3 Chicago 2  
    W2 Baltimore 4
  E1 Philadelphia 2
   
 
W1 St. Louis 3
    E1 Philadelphia 4  
     

Statistics leaders
CategoryPlayerTeamStat
PointsMax ZaslofskyChicago Stags1,007
AssistsHowie DallmarPhiladelphia Warriors120
FG%Bob FeerickWashington Capitols.340
FT%Bob FeerickWashington Capitols.788

Note: Prior to the 1969–70 season, league leaders in points and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.

BAA awards

Notes
  1. 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.
  2. Philadelphia may reasonably be called Eastern champion.

References
  1. "NBA is born". History. November 16, 2009. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  2. Goldstein, Richard (November 21, 2019). "Wat Misaka, First Nonwhite in Modern Pro Basketball, Dies at 95". The New York Times. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
  3. "NBA Season Recaps: 1946-2019". NBA.com. July 24, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
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