The First Basket: A Jewish Basketball Documentary

I was reading an article in Indie Slate magazine at Barnes & Noble (where else would a Jew be on Easter?) There was an interesting article about an independently produced documentary called The First Basket. The website features a summary of the segments and the story but here's an interesting nugget:

"On November 1, 1946, in the opening game of the fledgling Basketball Association of America (BAA), Ossie Schectman scored the opening basket for the New York Knickerbockers against the Toronto Huskies. Schectman and his teammates Sonny Hertzberg, Stan Stutz, Hank Rosenstein, Ralph Kaplowitz, Jake Weber, and Leo "Ace" Gottlieb went on to win the opening game 68 – 66 and finish the season with a 33 – 27 record. In 1949, the BAA became the National Basketball Association (NBA), and Schectman's shot is considered the first basket in the NBA.

In fact, several of the BAA and NBA teams had evolved out of the semi-pro teams, settlement houses, playgrounds, schoolyard and community center leagues, and college teams that sprung from the Jewish inner-city neighborhoods of the early 20th century. While the era of Jewish professional basketball players has passed, the story of these sports pioneers illustrates how the American 20th Century was shaped by the experiences of many immigrant groups."

Though not confirmed, Jews stopped playing when the league insisted on Shabbos games and the ability to jump more than 6 inches off the ground at the time of their physical peak. First Basket is being screened at various locales that Jews congregate such as JCC's & Jewish film festivals across the nation.