The 1946–47 New York Knicks season was the first season of the franchise in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

(NBA). The Knicks, the shortened form of

Knickerbocker A Knickerbocker is a person from Manhattan (New York City, before 1898). A modern synonym is “New Yorker”. Knickerbocker or Knickerbockers may also refer to: People * Knickerbocker (surname), including a list of people with the surname, and ...

s, named for Father Knickerbocker (a popular symbol of New York), are one of only two teams of the original National Basketball Association still located in its original city (the other being the Boston Celtics). The Knickerbockers first head coach was Neil Cohalan.

Roster

Regular season

The Knicks' (and the BAA's) first game was played on November 1, 1946, against the

Toronto Huskies The Toronto Huskies were a team in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which was a forerunner of the National Basketball Association (NBA), during the 1946–47 season. They were based in Toronto. The team compiled a 22–38 win–loss r ...

as the

New York Knickerbockers The New York Knickerbockers were one of the first organized baseball teams which played under a set of rules similar to the game today. Founded as the "Knickerbocker Base Ball Club" by Alexander Cartwright in 1845, the team remained active unti ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Maple Leaf Gardens Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was initially constructed in 1931 as an arena to host ice hockey games, though it has sinc ...

, where the Knickerbockers won 68–66.Goldaper, Sam
The First Game

. Accessed 2008-03-25.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Game log

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 1 , , November 1 , , @

, , W 68–66 , ,

, , Leo Gottlieb (14) , , 1–0 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 2 , , November 2 , , @

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, , L 47–63 , ,

Chicago Stadium Chicago Stadium was an indoor arena in Chicago, Illinois, that opened in 1929, closed in 1994 and was demolished in 1995. It was the home of the National Hockey League's Chicago Blackhawks and the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls. ...

, , Leo Gottlieb (12) , , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , , November 7 , , @

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, , W 68–63 , , St. Louis Arena , , Hertzberg, Schectman (11) , , 2–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="ffcccc" , 4 , , November 11 , , Chicago , , L 68–78 (OT) , , Madison Square Garden , , Sonny Hertzberg (19) , , 2–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 5 , , November 16 , ,

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

, , W 64–62 (OT) , , Madison Square Garden , , Kaplowitz, Schectman (14) , , 3–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 6 , , November 18 , ,

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

, , W 61–57 , , Madison Square Garden , , Sonny Hertzberg (14) , , 4–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 7 , , November 20 , , Chicago , , W 72–69 , , Madison Square Garden , , Sonny Hertzberg (19) , , 5–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 8 , , November 23 , ,

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, , W 82–76 (OT) , , Madison Square Garden , , Sonny Hertzberg (18) , , 6–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 9 , , November 25 , , @ Pittsburgh , , W 62–46 , ,

Duquesne Gardens The Duquesne Gardens (officially Duquesne Garden until 1940 and The Gardens afterward) was the main sports arena located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the first half of the 20th century. Built in 1890, the building originally served as a tr ...

, , Stan Stutz (15) , , 7–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 10 , , November 27 , , St. Louis , , W 67–60 , , Madison Square Garden , , Tommy Byrnes (17) , , 8–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 11 , , November 28 , , @ Providence , , W 60–58 , ,

Rhode Island Auditorium Rhode Island Auditorium was an indoor arena in Providence, Rhode Island, at 1111 North Main Street. It hosted the NBA's Providence Steamrollers from 1946 until 1949, and the Providence Reds ice hockey team until the Providence Civic Center (now t ...

, , Tommy Byrnes (18) , , 9–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 12 , , November 30 , ,

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, , W 64–60 (OT) , , Madison Square Garden , , Tommy Byrnes (17) , , 10–2 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 13 , , December 4 , , Detroit , , W 70–57 , , Madison Square Garden , ,

Ralph Kaplowitz Ralph Kaplowitz (May 18, 1919 – February 2, 2009) was an American professional basketball player. Kaplowitz played in the first two seasons of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), now known as the National Basketball Association (NBA), a ...

(15) , , 11–2 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 14 , , December 5 , , @ Philadelphia , , L 51–62 , ,

Philadelphia Arena The Philadelphia Arena was an auditorium used mainly for sporting events located at 46th and Market Streets in West Philadelphia. The address of the building, originally named the Philadelphia Ice Palace and Auditorium, was 4530 Market Street. T ...

, ,

(13) , , 11–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 15 , , December 7 , , @

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, , W 90–65 , ,

Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden, it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (lat ...

, , Stan Stutz (29) , , 12–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 16 , , December 8 , , Boston , , W 62–44 , , Madison Square Garden , , Stan Stutz (21) , , 13–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 17 , , December 11 , , Providence , , W 83–68 , , Madison Square Garden , , Sonny Hertzberg (16) , , 14–3 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 18 , , December 15 , , @ Cleveland , , L 52–70 , ,

Cleveland Arena Cleveland Arena was an arena in Cleveland, Ohio. It was built and privately financed by local businessman Albert C. Sutphin during the height of the Great Depression in 1937 as a playing site for Sutphin's AHL team, the Cleveland Barons. The aren ...

, , Sonny Hertzberg (16) , , 14–4 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 19 , , December 18 , , Cleveland , , L 53–56 , , Madison Square Garden , , Leo Gottlieb (9) , , 14–5 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 20 , , December 20 , , @ Toronto , , L 70–74 , , Maple Leaf Gardens , , Sonny Hertzberg (22) , , 14–6 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 21 , , December 21 , , @ Providence , , L 61–63 , , Rhode Island Auditorium , , Stan Stutz (17) , , 14–7 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 22 , , December 28 , , @

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, , L 49–70 , ,

Uline Arena The Uline Arena, later renamed the Washington Coliseum, was an indoor arena in Washington, D.C. located at 1132, 1140, and 1146 3rd Street, Northeast, Washington, D.C. It was the site of one of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's inaugural balls ...

, , Sonny Hertzberg (12) , , 14–8 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 23 , , January 4 , , @ Detroit , , W 62–50 , , Detroit Olympia , , Leo Gottlieb (22) , , 15–8 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 24 , , January 5 , , @ St. Louis , , W 59–57 , , St. Louis Arena , , Leo Gottlieb (21) , , 16–8 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 25 , , January 8 , , Toronto , , L 63–76 , , Madison Square Garden , , Leo Gottlieb (16) , , 16–9 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 26 , , January 10 , , @ Boston , , L 62–66 , , Boston Garden , , Bob Cluggish (10) , , 16–10 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 27 , , January 13 , , @ Pittsburgh , , W 53–50 , , Duquesne Gardens , ,

Ossie Schectman Oscar Benjamin "Ossie" Schectman (March 30, 1919 – July 30, 2013) was an American professional basketball player. He is credited with having scored the first basket in the Basketball Association of America (BAA), which would later become the Na ...

(19) , , 17–10 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 28 , , January 15 , , Washington , , L 63–65 , , Madison Square Garden , ,

(19) , , 17–11 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 29 , , January 18 , , Boston , , L 45–58 , , Madison Square Garden , , Sonny Hertzberg (10) , , 17–12 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 30 , , January 19 , , @ Cleveland , , L 72–79 , , Cleveland Arena , , Tommy Byrnes (18) , , 17–13 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 31 , , January 22 , , Chicago , , W 74–64 , , Madison Square Garden , , Tommy Byrnes (22) , , 18–13 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 32 , , January 25 , , Boston , , L 46–52 , , Madison Square Garden , , Bud Palmer (12) , , 18–14 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 33 , , January 29 , , Pittsburgh , , W 64–60 , , Madison Square Garden , , Bud Palmer (13) , , 19–14 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 34 , , January 30 , , @ Philadelphia , , L 58–65 , , Philadelphia Arena , , Bud Palmer (16) , , 19–15 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 35 , , February 1 , , Philadelphia , , L 63–71 , , Madison Square Garden , ,

Palmer Palmer may refer to: People and fictional characters * Palmer (pilgrim), a medieval European pilgrim to the Holy Land * Palmer (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Palmer (surname), including a list of people and ...

, Schectman (12) , , 19–16 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 36 , , February 2 , , @ Detroit , , L 63–65 , , Detroit Olympia , , Stan Stutz (22) , , 19–17 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 37 , , February 5 , , St. Louis , , L 46–71 , , Madison Square Garden , , Stan Stutz (8) , , 19–18 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 38 , , February 6 , , @ Boston , , L 48–49 , , Boston Garden , , Leo Gottlieb (8) , , 19–19 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 39 , , February 8 , , Toronto , , W 69–46 , , Madison Square Garden , , Bud Palmer (16) , , 20–19 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 40 , , February 12 , , Washington , , W 76–72 , , Madison Square Garden , , Lee Knorek (21) , , 21–19 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 41 , , February 15 , , Cleveland , , L 84–90 , , Madison Square Garden , ,

(18) , , 21–20 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 42 , , February 16 , , @ Detroit , , W 66–58 , , Detroit Olympia , ,

, Stutz (14) , , 22–20 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 43 , , February 19 , , Providence , , L 62–69 , , Madison Square Garden , ,

(16) , , 22–21 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 44 , , February 21 , , Pittsburgh , , W 77–49 , , Madison Square Garden , , Bud Palmer (15) , , 23–21 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 45 , , February 23 , , @ Chicago , , L 68–82 , , Chicago Stadium , ,

(18) , , 23–22 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 46 , , February 26 , , Washington , , L 60–84 , , Madison Square Garden , , Bud Palmer (13) , , 23–23 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 47 , , February 27 , , @ Providence , , W 73–65 , , Rhode Island Auditorium , , Stan Stutz (19) , , 24–23 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 48 , , March 1 , , Toronto , , W 63–48 , , Madison Square Garden , , Bud Palmer (15) , , 25–23 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 49 , , March 6 , , @ Philadelphia , , W 61–59 , , Philadelphia Arena , ,

(14) , , 26–23 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 50 , , March 8 , , Detroit , , W 64–61 , , Madison Square Garden , , Bud Palmer (11) , , 27–23 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 51 , , March 13 , , St. Louis , , W 78–74 (2OT) , , Madison Square Garden , , Knorek, Stutz (20) , , 28–23 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 52 , , March 15 , , @ Washington , , L 63–78 , , Uline Arena , , Leo Gottlieb (12) , , 28–24 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 53 , , March 16 , , @ Cleveland , , W 81–69 , , Cleveland Arena , , Sonny Hertzberg (21) , , 29–24 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 54 , , March 19 , , @ Chicago , , W 65–57 , , Chicago Stadium , , Sonny Hertzberg (16) , , 30–24 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 55 , , March 20 , , @ St. Louis , , L 49–51 , , St. Louis Arena , , Bud Palmer (11) , , 30–25 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 56 , , March 22 , , @ Washington , , W 68–63 , , Uline Arena , , Sonny Hertzberg (23) , , 31–25 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 57 , , March 24 , , @ Pittsburgh , , W 65–51 , , Duquesne Gardens , , Bud Palmer (20) , , 32–25 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 58 , , March 26 , , Providence , , W 91–84 (2OT) , , Madison Square Garden , , Tommy Byrnes (22) , , 33–25 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 59 , , March 28 , , @ Toronto , , L 61–71 , , Maple Leaf Gardens , , Tommy Byrnes (14) , , 33–26 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 60 , , March 30 , , @ Philadelphia , , L 72–76 , , Philadelphia Arena , , Lee Knorek (17) , , 33–27 , - , -
1946–47 Schedule

Playoffs

, - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 1 , April 2 , @

L 51–77
, Lee Knorek (10) ,

, 0–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 2 , April 5 ,

W 86–74
, Stan Stutz (30) ,

Madison Square Garden III Madison Square Garden (MSG III) was an indoor arena in New York City, the third bearing that name. Built in 1925 and closed in 1968, it was located on the west side of Eighth Avenue between 49th and 50th streets in Manhattan, on the site of ...

10,321 , 1–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ccffcc" , 3 , April 9 ,

W 93–71
, Bud Palmer (26) ,

5,124 , 2–1 , - , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 1 , April 12 , @

L 70–82
, Lee Knorek (20) ,

, 0–1 , - align="center" bgcolor="#ffcccc" , 2 , April 14 ,

L 53–72
, Tommy Byrnes (11) ,

, 0–2 , -

Player statistics

Season

Transactions

Trades

Sales

References

External links

Knicks on Database Basketball

{{DEFAULTSORT:1946-47 New York Knicks Season New York Knicks seasons New York New York Knicks New York Knicks 1940s in Manhattan Madison Square Garden