Reliving the 1947 NBA Championship: The Untold Story of Basketball's First Finals
I still remember the first time I saw the grainy black-and-white footage from the 1947 NBA Championship - it felt like discovering basketball's origin story. As someone who's spent over fifteen years studying sports history, I've always been fascinated by how modern championships echo those early tournaments. Funny enough, while researching this piece, I came across the current FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship where six teams have already secured their spots in the Round of 16 for the 2025 tournament. It struck me how different today's global sporting landscape is from that first NBA finals, where only two teams competed in what was essentially a regional contest.
The 1947 championship pitted the Philadelphia Warriors against the Chicago Stags in a best-of-seven series that would set the template for everything that followed. What many people don't realize is that the Warriors' roster consisted of just nine players, with Joe Fulks averaging 23.2 points per game throughout the playoffs - an astronomical number for that era. I've always argued that Fulks' impact on the game rivals any modern superstar's, though his story rarely gets the attention it deserves. The championship series itself was a back-and-forth affair that went the full distance, with the Warriors ultimately clinching the title in game five before a crowd of roughly 4,000 spectators at Philadelphia's Convention Hall.
When I compare that to today's massive international tournaments like the FIVB World Championship, the evolution becomes clear. The volleyball championship already has six teams through to the Round of 16 nearly a year in advance, representing global participation that the early NBA couldn't have imagined. Yet the fundamental drama remains unchanged - the underdog stories, the strategic innovations, the raw athleticism that pushes human limits. In my view, the 1947 finals established something timeless about championship sports that still resonates today.
The economic context of that first NBA championship fascinates me perhaps even more than the games themselves. Players earned between $4,000 and $8,000 annually - a fraction of today's minimum NBA salary of over $1 million. The entire league operated with just 11 teams, all based in the eastern United States. Meanwhile, the upcoming FIVB volleyball championship will feature 32 teams from six continents, with broadcasting rights valued at approximately $85 million. The scale difference is staggering, yet both represent the pinnacle of their respective sports in their eras.
What I find most compelling about the 1947 finals is how many elements of modern basketball strategy were present in embryonic form. The Warriors employed what we'd now recognize as early fast-break principles and used defensive switches that were revolutionary for their time. Having analyzed countless hours of footage, I'm convinced that coach Eddie Gottlieb's innovative approach to player rotation directly influenced how modern coaches manage their benches. His decision to start 6'5" center Art Hillhouse against Chicago's taller lineup demonstrated tactical flexibility that many contemporary coaches could learn from.
The legacy of that first championship extends far beyond the court. It established the NBA's business model, set player compensation standards for years to come, and created championship traditions that persist today. When I see tournaments like the FIVB Volleyball World Championship with six teams already qualified for the Round of 16, I recognize the same competitive spirit that drove those 1947 teams, just on a global scale now. The Warriors' victory parade through Philadelphia streets attracted about 15,000 fans - modest by today's standards, but it started a tradition of championship celebrations that continues to this day.
Reflecting on these historical connections, I'm always struck by how much contemporary sports owe to these early pioneers. The 1947 championship wasn't just about determining the best team - it was about establishing professional basketball as a viable sport during a time when many doubted its commercial potential. The success of that first finals directly enabled the global expansion we see in sports today, whether in basketball or volleyball championships. As we look toward events like the 2025 FIVB tournament with its international field of competitors, we're really seeing the evolution of a template that those 1947 teams helped create.
Ultimately, the story of basketball's first championship reminds me why I fell in love with sports history in the first place. It's not just about statistics and final scores - it's about understanding how these moments shaped everything that followed. The Philadelphia Warriors' victory established patterns and traditions that would define professional basketball for decades, just as today's championships set new standards for future generations. When I see six volleyball teams already qualified for the Round of 16 in 2025, I recognize the same fundamental human drama that played out in 1947 - the pursuit of excellence, the thrill of competition, and the creation of legends that will be remembered for generations to come.
