For three years, two rival basketball leagues — the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL) — waged a fierce battle over talent and audiences. Then, on August 3, 1949, something remarkable happened that nobody saw coming. Rather than continuing their costly competition, the two leagues decided to join forces, giving birth to what we now know as the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The Fast-rising BAA
When the Basketball Association of America came into existence in 1946, it immediately posed a serious threat to the National Basketball League, which had enjoyed nine years of dominance. One of the BAA's biggest advantages was access to larger urban markets, while the NBL found itself confined to smaller cities like Sheboygan, Akron, and Fort Wayne. This geographic disparity extended to their venues as well — the NBL hosted games in modest gymnasiums, whereas the upstart BAA showcased its talent in premier arenas like Boston Garden.
It wasn't long before the BAA began luring top talent away from its competitor, largely by offering superior pay. The consequences were devastating for the NBL: four of its member teams — Indianapolis, Rochester, Minneapolis, and Fort Wayne — along with their marquee players, made the jump to the BAA.
Perhaps the most painful departure was that of George Mikan, who left for the rival league alongside the Minneapolis Lakers. This high-profile defection hit the NBL hard, leaving its remaining members reeling from the sudden exodus of key franchises and stars. Faced with mounting losses, NBL leadership recognized that the only viable path forward was to end the hostilities with the rapidly ascending BAA.
The Inception of NBA
Representatives from both leagues gathered at the BAA's offices in New York on August 3, 1949, and managed to hammer out a deal that brought the merger to completion. Maurice Podoloff, who had been leading the BAA, stepped into the role of heading the newly formed NBA. The freshly minted league boasted 17 teams spread across the nation, representing a mix of both large metropolitan areas and smaller cities.