On November 1, 1947, during the inaugural game played between the New York Knickerbockers and Toronto Huskies, Ossie Schectman of the Knicks scored the first points ever in NBA history. Ossie passed away yesterday. He was 94. RIP.
Check out the history…
Via ESPN:
Benjamin “Ossie” Schectman, the man who scored the first basket in NBA history, for the New York Knicks, has died, the team announced. Schectman was 94.
He played for the Knicks in 1946-47, averaging 8.1 points and two assists per game, though he is widely known for his layup on Nov. 1, 1946, against the Toronto Huskies. Schectman, a 6-foot guard, scored the opening basket of the Huskies’ game against the Knicks, which was the first in NBA history.
In a 2003 interview with ESPN, Schectman recalled the basket as a layup on a give-and-go. “I scored on a two-handed underhand layup, which was the standard chippy shot back then,” he said in the interview. “I also remember being on the receiving end of a give-and-go, but I can’t remember who I received the pass from.”
Schectman was born in Queens and grew up in Manhattan. He played college basketball at Long Island University. He helped LIU win the NIT championship in 1939 and 1941.
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Lead photo via
