Uncovering the Historic 1947 NBA Draft: Top Picks and Untold Stories Revealed
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I still remember the first time I held that faded 1947 newspaper clipping in my hands - the ink slightly smudged, the paper brittle with age, yet containing what felt like basketball history frozen in time. The 1947 NBA Draft doesn't get the same attention as later drafts, but honestly, it might be one of the most fascinating turning points in basketball history. What many people don't realize is that this was the first draft after the Basketball Association of America merged with the National Basketball League, setting the stage for what would become the modern NBA we know today.
When I dive into the archives, the story of Clifton McNeely always stands out - the very first pick who never actually played in the NBA. The Pittsburgh Ironmen selected him, but he chose to become a high school basketball coach instead. Can you imagine that happening today? A number one pick turning down the league to coach teenagers? It says so much about how different the basketball world was back then. The league was unstable, salaries were modest, and the glamour we associate with the NBA simply didn't exist. McNeely's decision seems unthinkable now, but in 1947, it was probably the more sensible career move.
The real gems from that draft emerged from later picks. Andy Phillip at number three to the Chicago Stags became one of the early league's standout players, though his career was interrupted by military service - a common theme for athletes of that era. Then there was Jim Pollard, picked seventh by the Minneapolis Lakers, who would become part of their dynasty. But what fascinates me most are the stories we almost lost to history, like the one about Mongcopa. That dream, however, took a turn when Mongcopa's career was halted by a leg injury that kept him out for two years, including his supposed seniors debut. I've spent hours wondering how different the league might have looked if certain players like him hadn't faced such devastating setbacks. There were probably dozens of talented athletes whose careers were cut short by injuries, military service, or simply the financial instability of the early league.
Looking at the draft list, only about 40% of the picks actually had significant NBA careers. The Boston Celtics selected eight players that year - eight! - and only two made meaningful contributions to the team. The draft was essentially a gamble, with teams throwing darts blindfolded. There were no combine workouts, no advanced analytics, no international scouting networks. Teams relied on word-of-mouth, college reputations, and pure instinct. I sometimes think modern general managers would have panic attacks if they had to operate with that level of uncertainty.
What strikes me about researching this era is how personal everything felt. These weren't distant celebrities - they were men playing in small arenas, taking trains between cities, often holding second jobs during the offseason. The 1947 draft class represented the last generation of players who remembered the Great Depression and would soon see their careers interrupted by the Korean War. Their perspective on basketball was fundamentally different from today's athletes. They played for the love of the game, certainly, but also for the stability that professional sports could provide in uncertain times.
The untold stories from this draft continue to surface even now. Just last year, I came across photographs from the draft event itself - not the glamorous affair we see today, but a modest gathering in a hotel conference room. There were maybe thirty people in attendance, including team representatives and the press. No television cameras, no cheering fans, just business being conducted. Yet from that quiet room emerged careers that would help shape professional basketball for decades to come.
As I look back at the 1947 draft through modern eyes, I'm struck by both how much has changed and how much remains the same. The fundamental hope of every draft - that you might find that one player who changes your franchise forever - was just as alive then as it is today. The difference is that today's misses become trivia questions, while in 1947, they simply faded into obscurity. But each of those forgotten players represents a what-if scenario that could have altered NBA history. That's why I keep digging through old records and faded newspaper clippings - because every now and then, you uncover another piece of the puzzle, another story worth telling from that foundational moment in basketball history.