# 1946–47 Boston Celtics season

The 1946–47 Boston Celtics season was the first season of the Boston Celtics in the Basketball Association of America (BAA/NBA). Walter A. Brown was the man who was responsible for starting the franchise. In June 1946, Brown, who operated the Boston Garden arena and was part of the National Hockey League's Boston Bruins, was the driving force behind the Basketball Association of America and the Celtics birth. After considering several team names, including Whirlwinds, Unicorns, and Olympics, Brown opted for Celtics. He hoped to grab the attention of Boston's large Irish American population. John Davis "Honey" Russell was hired as the first Celtics coach, and the team soon began its inaugural season, losing its first game 59–53 to the Providence Steamrollers. The Celtics won their first game of the season against the Toronto Huskies on November 16, 1946.

## Regular season

On November 5, the Celtics played their first game at the Boston Arena in front of 4,329 fans. The game would be delayed for an hour when the wooden backboard was damaged after a practice dunk during warm-ups. After the backboard was repaired, the Celtics lost to the Chicago Stags by a score 57–55. This would become the first-ever broken backboard in BAA/NBA History.

### Season standings

| # | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte | Eastern Divisionvte |
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
| 1 | x-Washington Capitols | 49 | 11 | .817 | – |
| 2 | x-Philadelphia Warriors | 35 | 25 | .583 | 14 |
| 3 | x-New York Knicks | 33 | 27 | .550 | 16 |
| 4 | Providence Steamrollers | 28 | 32 | .467 | 21 |
| 5 | Boston Celtics | 22 | 38 | .367 | 27 |
| 6 | Toronto Huskies | 22 | 38 | .367 | 27 |

### Record vs. opponents

1946–47 BAA Records :
| Team | BOS | CHI | CLE | DET | NYK | PHI | PIT | PRO | STL | TOR | WAS |
| Boston | — | 0–6 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 1–5 | 5–1 | 1–5 | 1–5 | 4–2 | 1–5 |
| Chicago | 6–0 | — | 5–1 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 3–3 | 3–4 | 4–2 | 1–5 |
| Cleveland | 4–2 | 1–5 | — | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 1–5 | 6–0 | 1–5 |
| Detroit | 3–3 | 3–3 | 2–4 | — | 1–5 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 1–5 |
| New York | 2–4 | 3–3 | 2-4 | 5–1 | — | 2–4 | 6–0 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–4 |
| Philadelphia | 5–1 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | — | 5–1 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 1–5 |
| Pittsburgh | 1–5 | 0–6 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 0–6 | 1–5 | — | 3–3 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 1–5 |
| Providence | 5–1 | 3–3 | 4–2 | 4–2 | 2–4 | 2–4 | 3–3 | — | 2–4 | 3–3 | 0–6 |
| St. Louis | 5–1 | 4–3 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 2–4 | 3–3 | 5–1 | 4–2 | — | 2–4 | 2–4 |
| Toronto | 2–4 | 2–4 | 0–6 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 1–5 | 3–3 | 3–3 | 4–2 | — | 1–5 |
| Washington | 5–1 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 4–2 | 5–1 | 5–1 | 6–0 | 4–2 | 5–1 | — |

### Game log

1946–47 Game Log :
November
GameDateOpponentScoreLocation/AttendanceHigh pointsRecord
1November 2, 1946@ Providence Steamrollers53–59Rhode Island AuditoriumRed Wallace (9)0–1
2November 5, 1946Chicago Stags55–57Boston GardenJohn Simmons (13)0–2
3November 9@ Detroit Falcons46–69Detroit OlympiaArt Spector (12)0–3
4November 13@ Chicago Stags61–71Chicago StadiumJohn Simmons (14)0–4
5November 14@ St. Louis Bombers62–64St. Louis ArenaGray, Wallace (12)0–5
6November 16Toronto Huskies53–49Boston GardenWyndol Gray (13)1–5
7November 21St. Louis Bombers53–65Boston GardenConnie Simmons (9)1–6
8November 22@ Toronto Huskies82–83Maple Leaf GardensConnie Simmons (18)1–7
9November 23@ Detroit Falcons46–54Detroit OlympiaConnie Simmons (15)1–8
10November 25Providence Steam Rollers59–71Boston GardenJohn Simmons (14)1–9
11November 26Philadelphia Warriors54–66Philadelphia ArenaConnie Simmons (15)1–10
12November 28Pittsburgh Ironmen59–55Boston GardenHarold Kottman (19)2–10 :
December
GameDateOpponentScoreLocation/AttendanceHigh pointsRecord
13December 1@ Chicago Stags56–66Boston GardenAl Brightman (26)2–11
14December 2@ Pittsburgh Ironmen46–44Duquesne GardensAl Brightman (11)3–11
15December 5Detroit Falcons61–65Boston GardenConnie Simmons (10)3–12
16December 7New York Knickerbockers65–90Boston GardenGray, Kottman (15)3–13
17December 8@ New York Knickerbockers44–62Madison Square GardenWyndol Gray (13)3–14
18December 12Detroit Falcons73–66Boston GardenJerry Kelly (21)4–14
19December 14Philadelphia Warriors77–65Boston GardenRed Wallace (19)5–14
20December 19St. Louis Bombers74–76Boston GardenAl Brightman (13)5–15
21December 22@ St. Louis Bombers53–65St. Louis ArenaChuck Connors (14)5–16
22December 23@ Pittsburgh Ironmen54–64Duquesne GardensC. Simmons, Spector (9)5–17
23December 27Philadelphia Warriors60–63Boston GardenAl Brightman (17)5–18
24December 28@ Providence Steam Rollers68–80Rhode Island AuditoriumWyndol Gray (17)5–19
25December 30Washington Capitols60–70Boston GardenConnie Simmons (19)5–20 :
January
GameDateOpponentScoreLocation/AttendanceHigh pointsRecord
26January 3@ Toronto Huskies58–53Maple Leaf GardensAl Brightman (21)6–20
27January 6Cleveland Rebels53–64Boston GardenConnors, Gray (15)6–21
28January 10New York Knicks66–62Boston GardenAl Brightman (18)7–21
29January 11@ Providence Steam Rollers73–72Rhode Island AuditoriumAl Brightman (17)8–21
30January 16Washington Capitols47–38Boston GardenAl Brightman (14)9–21
31January 18@ New York Knickerbockers58–45Madison Square GardenAl Brightman (19)10–21
32January 20Chicago Stags54–81Boston GardenWyndol Gray (13)10–22
33January 21@ Philadelphia Warriors43–59Philadelphia ArenaJohn Simmons (10)10−23
34January 23Pittsburgh Ironmen48–43Boston GardenCharlie Hoefer (11)11–23
35January 25@ New York Knickerbockers52–46Madison Square GardenAl Brightman (17)11–24
36January 27Washington Capitols57–80Boston GardenConnie Simmons (12)12–24
37January 29@ Washington Capitols57–69Uline ArenaConnie Simmons (11)12–25
38January 30Pittsburgh Ironmen66–51Boston GardenConnie Simmons (18)13–25 :
February
GameDateOpponentScoreLocation/AttendanceHigh pointsRecord
39February 3@ Philadelphia Warriors55–61Philadelphia ArenaConnie Simmons (17)13–26
40February 6New York Knickerbockers49–48Boston GardenConnie Simmons (14)14–26
41February 13St. Louis Bombers64–54Boston GardenConnie Simmons (17)15–26
42February 16@ Chicago Stags77–84Chicago StadiumConnie Simmons (25)15–27
43February 18@ Cleveland Rebels73–84Cleveland ArenaConnie Simmons (21)15–28
44February 19@ Detroit Falcons57–51Detroit OlympiaConnie Simmons (18)16–28
45February 21@ Toronto Huskies61–67Maple Leaf GardensConnie Simmons (26)16–29
46February 23Providence Steam Rollers55–67Boston GardenAl Brightman (14)16–30
47February 24@ Washington Capitals59–83Uline ArenaAl Brightman (14)16–31
48February 28Cleveland Rebels69–62Boston GardenAl Brightman (22)17–31 :
March
GameDateOpponentScoreLocation/AttendanceHigh pointsRecord
49March 1@ Washington Capitols52–75Uline ArenaJack Garfinkel (18)17–32
50March 6Detroit Falcons74–65Boston GardenConnie Simmons (19)18–32
50March 8Toronto Huskies67–65Boston GardenConnie Simmons (19)19–32
52March 10Providence Steam Rollers70–87Boston GardenJohn Simmons (17)19–33
53March 12Toronto Huskies69–57Boston GardenHoefer, J. Simmons (13)20–33
54March 13@ Philadelphia Warriors57–81Philadelphia ArenaCharlie Hoefer (12)20–34
55March 18Cleveland Rebels58–67Boston GardenConnie Simmons (14)20–35
56March 24Chicago Stags69–80Boston GardenConnie Simmons (17)20–36
57March 25@ Cleveland Rebels64–72Cleveland ArenaArt Spector (19)20–37
58March 26Pittsburgh Ironmen74–61Duquesne GardensAl Brightman (17)21–37
59March 29@ St. Louis Bombers55–59St. Louis ArenaAl Brightman (15)21–38
60March 30@ Cleveland Rebels71–66Cleveland ArenaConnie Simmons (20)22–38 :
1946–47 Schedule :

## Player stats
### Season

| Player | GP | FG% | FT% | AST | PPG |
| Connie Simmons | 60 | .320 | .677 | 62 | 10.3 |
| Al Brightman | 58 | .256 | .627 | 60 | 9.8 |
| Wyndol Gray | 55 | .292 | .581 | 47 | 6.4 |
| Art Spector | 55 | .267 | .553 | 46 | 6.0 |
| Jerry Kelly | 43 | .291 | .667 | 24 | 6.0 |
| Charlie Hoefer | 35 | .241 | .634 | 24 | 6.0 |
| Red Wallace | 24 | .246 | .438 | 20 | 5.5 |
| Johnny Simmons | 60 | .280 | .614 | 29 | 5.3 |
| Chuck Connors | 49 | .247 | .464 | 40 | 4.6 |
| Jack Garfinkel | 40 | .266 | .607 | 58 | 4.5 |
| Harold Kottman | 53 | .314 | .465 | 17 | 3.1 |
| Warren Fenley | 33 | .225 | .511 | 16 | 2.6 |
| Tony Kappen | 18 | .275 | .632 | 6 | 4.1 |
| Virgil Vaughn | 17 | .192 | .536 | 10 | 2.6 |
| Mel Hirsch | 13 | .200 | .500 | 10 | 1.5 |
| Dick Murphy | 7 | .059 | .000 | 3 | 0.9 |
| Moe Becker | 6 | .227 | .750 | 1 | 2.2 |
| Bob Duffy | 6 | .286 | 1.000 | 0 | 1.3 |
| Hal Crisler | 4 | .333 | 1.000 | 0 | 1.5 |
| Don Eliason | 1 | .000 | – | 0 | 0.0 |

## Transactions
### Trades

| December 12, 1946 | To Boston CelticsMoe Becker | To Pittsburgh IronmenTony Kappen |
| January 2, 1947 | To the Boston CelticsCharlie Hoefer | To the Toronto HuskiesRed Wallace |

### Purchases

| Player | Date bought | Previous team |
| Jack Garfinkel | January 16, 1947 | Rochester Royals |