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| Date | Friday, March 2, 1951 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Arena | Boston Garden | ||||||||||||||||||
| City | Boston | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Ed Macauley | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 10,094 | ||||||||||||||||||
| NBA All-Star Game | |||||||||||||||||||
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The1951 NBA All-Star Game was anexhibition basketball game played on March 2, 1951, atBoston Garden inBoston, home of theBoston Celtics. The game was the first edition of theNational Basketball Association (NBA)All-Star Game and was played during the1950–51 NBA season. The idea of holding an All-Star Game was conceived during a meeting betweenNBA PresidentMaurice Podoloff, NBA publicity directorHaskell Cohen and Boston Celtics ownerWalter A. Brown. At that time, the basketball world had just been stunned by thecollege basketball point-shaving scandal. In order to regain public attention to the league, Cohen suggested the league to host an exhibition game featuring the league's best players, similar to theMajor League Baseball'sAll-Star Game.[1] Although most people, including Podoloff, were pessimistic about the idea, Brown remained confident that it would be a success. He even offered to host the game and to cover all the expenses or potential losses incurred from the game.[2] TheEastern All-Stars team defeated theWestern All-Stars team 111–94. Boston Celtics'Ed Macauley was named as the firstNBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award. The game became a success, drawing an attendance of 10,094, much higher than that season's average attendance of 3,500.[3]
The players for the All-Star Game were chosen by sports writers in several cities. They were not allowed to select players from their own cities. Players were selected without regard to position. On February 13, the team was announced by the NBA PresidentMaurice Podoloff. Ten players from each Division were selected to represent theEastern andWestern Division in the All-Star Game.Vince Boryla,Ed Macauley,Dick McGuire andDolph Schayes were unanimous selections to the Eastern team.Frank Brian,Ralph Beard,Bob Davies,Alex Groza,George Mikan,Vern Mikkelsen andFred Schaus were unanimous selections to the Western team. Both thePhiladelphia Warriors and theNew York Knickerbockers were represented by three players each on the roster. The All-Star rosters included threerookies who were drafted in the1950 draft:Paul Arizin,Bob Cousy andLarry Foust.[4] Two players,Ken Murray andArnie Risen, were named as alternates for the Eastern and Western team respectively.[5] The alternates would be invited to the team if any of the twenty players selected failed to take part in the game. The starters were chosen by each team's head coach.[6]
The coaches for the All-Star Game were the head coaches who coached the teams with the best winning percentage in their division through February 18, the Sunday two weeks before the All-Star game.[6] The coach for the Western team wasMinneapolis Lakers head coachJohn Kundla. As of February 18, the Lakers had 36–18 record, the best winning percentage in the Western Division and in the league.[7] The coach for the Eastern team wasNew York Knickerbockers head coachJoe Lapchick. As of February 18, the Knickerbockers had 31–21 record, the best winning percentage in the Eastern Division and the second-best winning percentage in the league.[8]
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a Ken Murray was a member of Eastern Division'sBaltimore Bullets when the team was announced. He was sold to Western Division's Fort Wayne Pistons on February 15.[9]
The East defeated the West by 17 points. The West trailed by the end of the first quarter, where they were outscored by 9 points. The East's lead increased to 11 points at halftime and again to 19 points at the end of the third quarter.Boston Celtics'Ed Macauley scored a game-high 20 points and successfully defendedMinneapolis Lakers starGeorge Mikan, limiting him to only 4 field goals and 12 points.Alex Groza of theIndianapolis Olympians scored a team-high 17 points for the West.Syracuse Nationals'Dolph Schayes scored 15 points and also recorded a game-high 14 rebounds for the East while reserveDick McGuire added a game-high 10 assists. Two other players from the East,Joe Fulks and reservePaul Arizin, scored at least 19 and 15 points respectively as their team had 46.2field goal percentage. On the other hand, the West only managed to make 32.7 percent of its shots. Macauley was named as the firstAll-Star Game Most Valuable Player. However, he was honored two years later during the1953 All-Star Game, when the league decided to designate an MVP for each year's game.[10][11]
March 2, 1951 |
| Eastern All-Stars111,Western All-Stars 94 | ||
| Scoring by quarter: 31–22, 22–20, 30–22, 28–30 | ||
| Pts:Ed Macauley 20 Rebs:Dolph Schayes 14 Asts:Dick McGuire 10 | Pts:Alex Groza 17 Rebs:Alex Groza 13 Asts:Davies,Pollard 5 each | |
| Legend | |||||||||
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| Pos | Position | Min | Minutes played | FGM | Field goals made | FGA | Field goal attempted | FTM | Free throws made |
| FTA | Free throw attempted | Reb | Rebounds | Ast | Assists | PF | Personal fouls | Pts | Points |
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