The Nation Basketball Association’s (NBA) history begins with the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946-47. After a merger between professional basketball leagues, the NBA had its first season in 1949-50 (Elias, 2024). This era began in 1946 during the inception of this basketball league and ended during the first NBA season with a broadcast deal in 1953-54 (Fischer, 2024). 

During this period, professional basketball was only accessible in very few ways. The basketball photography of the time is very important since it captures moments in history not documented by film. This era is referred to as the pioneering era since the league was just beginning and we can only point to rare film, photography, and oral accounts of events to understand this history (Isaacs, 1996). NBA photography holds important significance when reflecting on this period since it is one of the few mediums that reveal what truly occurred from 1946-1953 in NBA games before a broadcast deal (Fischer, 2024).