Those were difficult times. Its first season of existence BAAAthe organization that years later would lead to nba, was a financial fiasco. It was to be expected, because after all, the start of a competition that aspired to be pan-Hellenic was going to suffer spectacularly in its first steps. It was of little use that most of the 11 original franchises they were located in geographical enclaves that are said to be monetarily viable. At the end of that 1946-1947 academic year, 3 organizations dropped out, leaving the league’s competitive core at 8.
Therefore, in the second season of this competition’s existence (1947-1948) Eddie Gottliebtasked with making the league calendars for several decades, tIt became clear that it was necessary to restructure the design to achieve maximum economic efficiency. Until the definitive establishment of television as a medium of mass media as well as live sports, the only ways to watch a team live were on the radio and going to the stadium.
The only way for teams to make money in the early days of the league was ticket issuance. With almost negligible income from sponsors, usually used to pay for travel or living allowances so players could eat at a local restaurant, a good home crowd was synonymous with a successful event.
That moment New York was the league’s top marketbeing common biceps as a claim for fans, to be able to watch 2 games in a row for a small fee, usually with a local player involved or a famous team. Ned Irish, original owner of the Knicks and Madisonhe knew how to take great advantage of his geographical location by coming to schedule his meetings Harlem Globetrotters as a preview of the NBA itself to increase the benefits.
Thus it was decided that the Knicks would be the ones to lead the experiment, testing the entity of their large market and the fact that during the Christmas season the population of New York increased dramatically. The recreational alternatives that existed at the time at the sporting level were not very extensive, so the BAA was clear about this and chose the third Madison Square Garden as a testing ground.
In this context, BAA has planned its first Christmas Day for December 25, 1947 with two games, being the first meeting between them The Knicks and the Providence Steamrollers and the second inside St. Louis with the Bombers hosting the Washington Capitol. Those from Rhode Island, now a defunct franchise, had some recognizable names in their ranks for fans of the era, either because of their past as traveling pros or because they had some connection to College.
The party’s promotions focused on the figures of Ernie Calverley and Kenny Sailors. The first known to be responsible for Maurice Podoloff including assist on the stat sheet thanks to his passing skills. While the second was one of the the best college players of the 40s, led Wyoming to the national championship under the Madison spotlight in 1943 over mighty Georgetown.
To spice up the evening, an exhibition meeting was planned between the workers at Gimbel’s and Abraham & Strauss stores; the first two sorted Knickerbocker League. An exaggeration seen through the eyes of the present, but one that made all the sense in the world at the time, since the offering of professional basketball in the first half of the 20th century was much broader than it is today. Without further ado, the labor and class component of professional practice in its early years was key to its establishment, especially in the Midwest, as also reflected in cases of industrial cities such as Cleveland, Fort Wayne or Detroit.
Remarkably, Gimbel’s players took the game 56-37, earning their fourth win and maintaining their undefeated streak in the tournament.
The Knicks came into that game against him steam rollers having lost in Providence to them just a few days earlier just over 1000 viewers. A cold and desolate enclave, like Rhode Island Arena, where those coached by Joe Lapchick succumbed to his game George Nostrand, author of 10 Points and key to the Rollers’ triumph.
The trip and Christmas Eve were good for the New Yorkers, who confirmed their superiority and the home factor tied the win for good at 89-75. However, the Knicks did not win peacefully, but had to build on their victory, having to come back from a 9-point deficit before halftime. It was a score after the restart led Carl Braun and Tommy Byrnes who made the home side’s success possible.
However, the highlight of that game would not be the result, yet another in a season of just 48 games, but the reception he received from the fans. Record capacity of 15,427 spectators crowded the stands of the third Madison Square Garden that it was prepared for a maximum of 18,000 people, assuming that was the case when more people attended a professional basketball game in that venue.
The success of that first tryout served as a sign that a professional basketball Christmas day was worth betting on, which they repeated the following year by taking the Knicks at Chicago Stags and where it would take place from now on a tradition that missed its appointment only once (1998) due to force majeure (lockout).
The NBA on Christmas Day is a tradition with a longer history than the Superbowl, reaching a record 10 games in 1971 and routinely setting regular-season attendance records. “It’s special because you know the whole world is watching you” would perfectly sum up Shaquille O’Neal a few years ago.
“You get to see most of the great players in one day. All on the same day,” NBA vice president Tom Carrelli told Sporting News in 2017.. “We know how important this day is. We want to show people our best players, our best teams, our best opponents. This is the day to do it.”
75 years after the Knicks hosted the steam rollers under the old headlights of the third Madison will be the 76 year olds that appear in New York to represent the oldest tradition that exists in the NBA.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
