Ossie Schectman
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Personal information | |
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Born | Queens, New York | May 30, 1919
Died | July 30, 2013 Delray Beach, Florida | (aged 94)
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
Career information | |
High school | Samuel J. Tilden (Brooklyn, New York) |
College | Long Island (1938–1941) |
Position | Shooting guard / Small forward |
Career history | |
1941–1946 | Philadelphia Sphas |
1946–1947 | New York Knicks |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Oscar Benjamin "Ossie" Schectman (May 30, 1919 – July 30, 2013) was an American professional basketball player. He is credited with having scored the very first basket in the National Basketball Association (NBA), at that time the Basketball Association of America.
Basketball career
Schectman began his playing career at Samuel J. Tilden High School in Brooklyn, New York. He later played both guard and forward at Long Island University under coach Clair Bee. He was a member of the undefeated 1939 NIT and National Championship team.[1] In 1941, he was named Converse first team All-America.[2]
Philadelphia Sphas
After graduating from LIU, Schectman joined Eddie Gottlieb's Philadelphia Sphas in the American Basketball League.[1] The Sphas had started as a barnstorming team (their nickname stood for the South Philadelphia Hebrew Association), but they joined the ABL in 1933 and thereafter, dominated the league. The Sphas won the league championship in his second season (1942–43), and the following year, he finished second in the league in scoring with 199 points (10.5 average). He remained with the Sphas until 1946 (they won another championship in 1944–45), and then joined a new league called the Basketball Association of America (predecessor of the NBA).[3]
New York Knickerbockers
On November 1, 1946, in the first ever game of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), Schectman made the opening basket for the New York Knicks against the Toronto Huskies at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens. The Knicks won the game 68–66. In 1949, the BAA became the National Basketball Association (NBA); thus, Schectman's basket is considered the first in NBA history.[4]
In 1946–47 (his only year in the NBA), Schectman played in 54 games for the Knicks and was third in the league with 2.0 assists per game.
Paterson Crescents
After his one season, Schectman decided to abandon the NBA. He returned to the ABL, and in the 1947–48 season, he was named All-ABL first team while leading the Paterson Crescents to the championship series.[5]
Halls of Fame
Schectman is prominently featured in the documentary film The First Basket, about Jewish basketball history. He was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1998[6] and the Long Island University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. He was also inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.[7]
Personal life
Schectman was born on May 30, 1919, in Kew Gardens in Queens, New York City. His parents were Jewish immigrants from Russia. He had four siblings. On July 30, 2013, Schectman died at age 94 in Delray Beach, Florida. He was survived by his wife, Evelyn, and his sons Stewart and Peter.[8]
See also
References
- ^ a b Goldstein, Richard (July 30, 2013), "Ossie Schectman, N.B.A.'s First Scorer, Dies at 94", The New York Times
- ^ "LIU BROOKLYN TO HONOR KNICK WHO SCORED THE FIRST BASKET IN NBA HISTORY". liu.edu. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- ^ "Do you know who scored THE FIRST BASKET in the NBA?". Thefirstbasket.com. November 1, 1946. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "The Story". The First Basket. November 1, 1946. Retrieved October 19, 2010.
- ^ "Oscar Schectman". infotanica.com. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- ^ http://www.jewishsports.org/jewishsports/detail.asp?id=64
- ^ "Schectman, Ossie". jewsinsports.org. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- ^ "Ossie Schectman, N.B.A.'s First Scorer, Dies at 94". NY Times. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
External links
- 1919 births
- 2013 deaths
- Basketball players from New York
- Jewish American sportspeople
- Jewish basketball players
- LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds men's basketball players
- New York Knicks players
- Philadelphia Sphas players
- Samuel J. Tilden High School alumni
- Shooting guards
- Small forwards
- Sportspeople from Brooklyn
- Sportspeople from Queens, New York