On November 1, 1946, in the first ever game of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) which later on became the NBA, Schectman made the first basket when the Knicks played the Toronto Huskies at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens. The Knicks won the game 68–66. Schectman's basket is considered the first in NBA history.[6] Schectman played 54 games for the Knicks in his one season with the team. He suffered a serious internal injury in a game in Chicago in March, 1947.[4] In that one season, Schectman averaged 8.1 points per game, ranking 39th in the league.[7] This helped him have the highest win share for his team. Schectman ended his BAA career with 435 points.
Paterson Crescents (1947–1948)
Schectman joined the Paterson Crescents of the ABL. The team won the league championship in 1947–48, and Schectman was named to the All-ABL first team.[4]
Later life and death
He was made a member of the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1998[8] and the Long Island University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. He was also inducted into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.[4] Schectman appeared in the 2008 documentary film The First Basket.
On April 27, 2013, Schectman gave his very last autograph to young NBA fans who came to visit him in his home for the elderly in New City, New York. At the time of the visit Schechtman was watching the triple-overtime Game 4 of the first round NBA playoff series between the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets.
On July 30, 2013, Schectman died at age 94 in Delray Beach, Florida. He was survived by his sons Stewart and Peter, his sister and two grandchildren.[1]