June 6, 1946

A new professional basketball league is born, when a group of entrepreneurs, many of them arena owners, form the Basketball Association of America. The league hands out 13 franchises -- New York, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. Louis, Toronto and Washington.

There already are two other pro basketball leagues: the National Basketball League, which is composed of Midwestern teams, and the East Coast American Basketball League.

For the most part, BAA games will use college rules. Three exceptions are that the new pro game will last 48 minutes instead of 40, zone defenses are outlawed and players will be allowed six personal fouls instead of five before fouling out.

When the initial season starts that fall, there will be only 11 teams as Buffalo and Indianapolis will drop out.