Ossie Schectman is credited with having scored the first basket in the National Basketball Association (NBA), at that time the Basketball Association of America. After obtaining his degree from LIU, Schectman played for Eddie Gottlieb's Philadelphia Sphas in the American Basketball League. The Sphas joined the ABL in 1933 and won the league championship in 1942–43. He was second in the league in scoring with 199 points (10.5 average) in 1943–44. He played with the Sphas until 1946, when he joined the New York Knicks of the Basketball Association of America.
On November 1, 1946, in the first-ever game of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), Schectman made the first basket when the Knicks played the Toronto Huskies at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens. The Knicks won the game 68–66. In 1949, the league expanded and became the National Basketball Association (NBA); thus, Schectman's basket is considered the first in NBA history. Schectman played 54 games for the Knicks in his one season with the team. In that one season, Schectman averaged 8.1 points per game, a lot for someone in those days. This helped him have the highest win share for his team. Schectman ended his BAA career with 435 points.
This plug-in clock is mounted on a two-tiered marble base and is still functional, It was created for a special occasion as the plaques read "Member of the Original Knicks 1946-47" and "Guest of Honor - Knicks Final Game - Madison Square Garden February 10, 1968," though there is no indication who it was specifically presented to. The third incarnation of MSG, which was located on eighth avenue between 49th and 50th streets in New York City, opened in 1925 and gave way to the structure used today. The Knicks closed Garden number three in style that night, beating the Philadelphia 76ers, 115-97. Sourced from Schectman estate.