I still remember the first time I watched an NBA Finals game with my grandfather back in 1998. He pointed at the Chicago Bulls celebrating their championship and asked me, "Do you know who won the very first NBA championship?" I had no answer, and that question sparked my journey into basketball history that continues to this day. The story of the first NBA champions takes us back to 1947, when the league was still called the Basketball Association of America (BAA), before it became the NBA we know today. The Philadelphia Warriors defeated the Chicago Stags in five games to claim that inaugural championship, and what fascinates me most is how different their experience was compared to modern players.
When I look at today's NBA playoffs with their carefully scheduled rest days and strategic rotations, I can't help but think about how brutal those early seasons must have been. The reference material perfectly captures this difference - "It's not like the local tournaments we play where you can stick to a specific seven and then you get to rest 4-5 days before the next game." Back in 1947, the Warriors played through a grueling schedule with minimal rest between games. Their star player, Joe Fulks, averaged over 23 points per game in an era when most teams struggled to score 60 points total. Imagine playing back-to-back nights, sometimes even three games in four days, traveling by train between cities, and still having to perform at your peak. That 1947 Warriors team featured only about ten players who shared the court time differently than modern rotations.
The physical demands were absolutely staggering compared to today's game. I've watched game footage from that era, and the pace was relentless despite the lower scoring. Players like Fulks and teammate Howie Dallmar logged what would be considered insane minutes by today's standards. They played through injuries that would sideline modern athletes for weeks. There were no luxury hotels, no chartered flights, no sports science teams monitoring their every movement. Just think about this - the entire 1947 playoffs lasted only about three weeks from start to finish, with teams playing every other day or sometimes consecutively. The Warriors closed out their championship run on April 22, 1947, before crowds that rarely exceeded 10,000 people, a far cry from today's packed arenas holding 20,000 screaming fans.
What really strikes me about that first championship team is how they set the template for future NBA success. The Warriors had this beautiful balance between offensive firepower and defensive discipline. Joe Fulks, who I consider one of the most underappreciated pioneers in basketball history, revolutionized scoring with his jumping shot technique. Before Fulks, most players shot two-handed set shots. He averaged 23.2 points in the regular season - astronomical for that era - and maintained that production throughout the playoffs. His teammate Angelo Musi provided the backcourt stability, while Howie Dallmar directed the offense with what passed for sophisticated playmaking in 1947. They beat George Mikan's Chicago Stags, who would become champions themselves the following year, in a hard-fought series that went the full five games.
The contrast between then and now couldn't be more dramatic. Modern players might complain about back-to-back games, but they have no idea what those pioneers endured. I recently calculated that the 1947 Warriors played 67 total games between regular season and playoffs over about five months, with significantly less recovery time between contests. Today's stars might play 100 games over eight months but with much better travel conditions and medical support. The reference material's observation about "every game naglalaro and we're expected to play with anyone who is put inside the court" perfectly describes that era's mentality. Coaches had shorter rotations, players fought through fatigue, and everyone understood that sitting out meant you might not get your spot back.
When I think about that first championship, what resonates with me isn't just the historical significance but the raw determination those players demonstrated. They earned approximately $8,000-$10,000 for the entire season - less than what today's stars make per minute of playing time. They traveled by train between cities, sometimes arriving just hours before tipoff. The games were played in venues like the Philadelphia Arena, which lacked modern amenities we take for granted. Yet these men competed with incredible passion and skill, laying the foundation for what would become the global phenomenon of the NBA. Every time I watch current players carefully manage their workload and rotation patterns, I smile thinking about how Joe Fulks and his teammates would have reacted to such considerations. That 1947 Philadelphia Warriors team didn't just win the first championship - they established the competitive spirit that still defines the NBA today, and personally, I believe we've lost some of that gritty determination in our modern, carefully managed version of the game.