1946-47 Indianapolis Kautskys vs. Ft Wayne Pistons Program 1st Year NBA
In 1931 Frank Kautsky, an Indianapolis grocer, formed a professional basketball team and named it the Indianapolis Kautskys. After playing in the National Professional Basketball League (1932-33) and the Midwest Basketball Conference (1935-37), in 1937 the Kautskys became one of the original members of the National Basketball League (NBL). The team was one of four (along with the Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals, and Fort Wayne Pistons) that jumped to the BAA for the 1948–49 season. At that time the team's name was changed to the Indianapolis Jets because the BAA did not allow its teams to have commercial sponsors.
The Fort Wayne Pistons are an iconic basketball team with a long and storied history in the NBA. The team was founded in 1941, making them one of the oldest teams in professional basketball. While their name may sound like it has something to do with cars or engines, its origins lie elsewhere.
The nickname “Pistons” dates back to when they were known as the Zollner Pistons from 1941-1957. Fred Zollner was a local businessman who owned an auto parts plant, and a semi-professional baseball team called the Fort Wayne Kautskys (later renamed for him). He invested his money into buying an NBA franchise named after his company – The Zollner Pistons!
Offered is a 22 page program from the first year of the NBA (the 1946-47 season is considered to be the first year of the NBA with NBL and BAA teams playing each other). Program shows some age, but everything is intact, tight binding, no rips or tears, loaded with player bios and photos of players from the Indianapolis Kautskys.
The Pistons played at Indianapolis twice during this season; first on Dec 10, 1946 and then again on March 11, 1947.
Item: 13622
|
| Price: $495.00 | | |
