Over the course of this project, I will dissect the NBA's visual history from its inaugural season as the BAA in 1946-47 to the end of the tape delay era when the 1982 NBA Finals were broadcast live.

Over the course of its history, the NBA has seen changes in its environment, audience, players, coaches, and more, making history fluid and ever-changing. I have decided to split the NBA into four distinct eras from 1946 to 1982 to examine the changes over time in NBA visual culture, by specifically dissecting NBA photography. 

As photography technology evolved, so did the league and sport of basketball. In the first era, it is easy to identify the foreign visuals, since it is far from what is familiar to us, the viewer knowing what professional sports looks like in our modern age. Noting the attire, crowd, and action within the photograph the viewer gets a glimpse into an age before the league’s first broadcast deal that makes the sport accessible to a wider audience. These images are easy to juxtapose to our modern time as well as the three eras that follow. 

Next, the second era depicts rivalries and dynasties captured through the photographic lens. This lens shows the Boston Celtics in their glory years through the eyes of a singular local photographer. 

The third era dissects culture and demonstrates how the ABA radicalized the product of professional basketball. Specifically looking at Sports Illustrated covers the project charts Julius Erving’s ascendancy to cultural relevance. 

Finally, the fourth era began with the ushering in of new stars Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. These figures are examined through the broadcast and photographic lens, demonstrating their rivalry's birth from a college matchup. Bird’s championship in 1981 was the last to be on tape delay, so in 1982 Magic’s championship was live, signally the end of this era and a transition to the modern accessible live broadcast product we continue to have today.

(2009, November 16). NBA merges with ABA | June 17, 1976 | HISTORY. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nba-merges-with-aba

Adgate, B. (2024, July 15). Forbes.com. There Was Once A Time When TV Networks Tape Delayed The NBA Finals. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradadgate/2024/07/15/there-was-once-a-time-when-tv-networks-tape-delayed-the-nba-finals/

Associated Press. (2007, February 21). Renowned sports photographer Raphael dies at 68. ESPN. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://www.espn.com/sports/news/story?id=2774271

Elias, J. (2024). The Birth of the Modern NBA: Pro Basketball in the Year of the Merger, 1949-1950. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers.

Fischer, A. (2024, June 25). History of the NBA on Television. givemesport.com. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://www.givemesport.com/history-nba-on-television/

Floss, M. (2014). The Man Behind the Camera: Vernon Biever. Wisconsin Magazine of History. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://www.snc.edu/magazine/2014spring/vernbiever.html

Forsberg, C. (2020, May 27). Ever Wonder Series: Why do the Celtics have a parquet floor? NBC Sports Boston. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/ever-wonder-series-why-do-the-celtics-have-a-parquet-floor/335971/

Goldstein, R. (2006, October 29). Red Auerbach, Who Built Basketball Dynasty, Dies at 89. New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/29/sports/basketball/29auerbach.html

Isaacs, N. D. (1996). Vintage NBA Basketball: The Pioneer Era (1946-56) : a Mostly Oral History. Masters Press.

Lopresti, M. (2021, January 8). Why Magic vs. Bird forever changed college basketball. NCAA.com. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2020-03-25/why-magic-vs-bird-forever-changed-college-basketball

Mallozzi, V. (2009). Doc: The Rise and Rise of Julius Erving. Wiley.

Pluto, T. (1990). Loose Balls: The Short, Wild Life of the American Basketball Association. Simon and Schuster.

Reynolds, B. (2010). Rise of a Dynasty: The '57 Celtics, the First Banner, and the Dawning of a New America. New American Library.

Simmons, B. (2010). The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy. Random House Publishing Group.

Streeter, K. (2023, February 7). Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Is Greater Than Any Basketball Record (Published 2023). The New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2024, from https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/07/sports/basketball/kareem-abdul-jabbar-record-legacy.html

Taylor, J. (2006). The Rivalry: Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Golden 

Age of Basketball. Random House Publishing Group.