Hank Rosenstein; original Knickerbocker played in NBA’s inaugural game
NEW YORK - Hank Rosenstein, who played in what is considered the National Basketball Association’s first game, in 1946, as an original member of the
The cause was heart failure.
Mr. Rosenstein was a 6-foot-4-inch, 185-pound center and forward who starred at Boys High School in Brooklyn and at City College before joining the pros.
He was a member of the newly christened Knickerbockers when they faced the Toronto Huskies before an estimated crowd of 8,000 at Maple Leaf Gardens on Nov. 1, 1946. At the time, New York and Toronto were members of the Basketball Association of America, and this was the league’s first game. The BAA merged with the National Basketball League in 1949 to form the National Basketball Association.
The NBA considers the Toronto contest its inaugural game. New York won the game, 68-66.
In an era when professional and amateur teams reflected the ethnic immigrant populations of their respective cities, Mr. Rosenstein suited up for the game with seven Jewish teammates: Oscar Schectman, Leo Gottlieb, Stan Stutz, Jake Weber, Ralph Kaplowitz (who made up the original starting five), Sidney Hertzberg, and Nat Militzok. Of those, only Schectman survives.
Mr. Rosenstein made two shots from the field and 1 of 2 free throws for a total of five points for the Knicks.
“Back then, pro teams drafted mostly local kids, so for the Knicks that meant taking a lot of Jewish players because they were the best around,’’ Ray Lumpp, who played with the Knicks from 1948 to 1952, said Monday.
Mr. Rosenstein played in 31 games for the Knicks that season, averaging 4.3 points per game, before he was traded to the Providence Steamrollers.
He left to play professionally in the American Basketball League, joining the Scranton Miners. He played five seasons, helping the Miners win back-to-back championships, in 1949-50 and 1950-51, when he led the team in scoring with 422 points and an 11.7-point average.