The Eastern Division was a division in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its forerunner, the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The division was created at the start of the 1946–47 BAA season, when the league was created, and was then kept as one of the divisions when BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to create the NBA on August 3, 1949. Originally, when the merger between the BAA and NBL happened, it was planned for the Eastern and Western divisions to be renamed into the American and National divisions (similar to what Major League Baseball had done following the National League and American League allowing for each league to compete with each other for the World Series in order for their leagues to maintain their independent integrity) with the divisions being re-divided between the Eastern and Western teams in both leagues not long afterward (though it was likely going to have the American Division teams being teams originally playing in the 1948–49 BAA season at the time and the National Division teams being teams planned to have been from the NBL at the time, including the Indianapolis Olympians expansion team), but the sudden dropout of the Oshkosh All-Stars from the initial BAA–NBL merger into the NBA by September 3, 1949, led to the Eastern and Western divisions returning as planned alongside the temporary creation of a Central Division for that season., pp. 223–224 The division existed until the 1970–71 NBA season when the NBA expanded from 14 to 17 teams and realigned into the Eastern and Western conferences with two divisions each.
Teams Team City Year From Year To Current divisionJoined Left Baltimore Bullets Baltimore, Maryland Western Division Folded — Baltimore Bullets Baltimore, Maryland Western Division Central Division Southeast Division Boston Celtics Boston, Massachusetts § Atlantic Division Atlantic Division Cincinnati Royals Cincinnati, Ohio Western Division Central Division Pacific Division Detroit Pistons Detroit, Michigan Western Division Midwest Division Central Division Milwaukee Bucks Milwaukee, Wisconsin — Midwest Division Central Division New York Knicks New York City, New York § Atlantic Division Atlantic Division Syracuse Nationals Philadelphia 76ers Syracuse, New YorkPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania — Atlantic Division Atlantic Division Philadelphia Warriors Philadelphia, Pennsylvania § Western Division Pacific Division Providence Steamrollers Providence, Rhode Island § Folded — Toronto Huskies Toronto, Ontario § Folded — Washington Capitols Washington, D.C. § Western DivisionFolded — Notes
denotes an expansion team. denotes a team that merged from the National Basketball League (NBL)
Team timeline
Division champions ^ Had or tied for the best regular season record for that season Season Team Record Playoffs result Washington Capitols^ 49–11 () Lost Semifinals Philadelphia Warriors 27–21 () Lost BAA Finals Washington Capitols 38–22 () Lost BAA Finals Syracuse Nationals^ 51–13 () Lost NBA Finals Philadelphia Warriors 40–26 () Lost Division semifinals Syracuse Nationals 40–26 () Lost Division finals New York Knicks 47–23 () Lost NBA Finals New York Knicks 47–23 () Lost Division semifinals (round-robin) Syracuse Nationals^ 43–29 () Lost Division finals Philadelphia Warriors^ 45–27 () Won NBA Finals Boston Celtics^ 44–28 () Won NBA Finals Boston Celtics^ 49–23 () Lost NBA Finals Boston Celtics^ 52–20 () Won NBA Finals Boston Celtics^ 59–16 () Won NBA Finals Boston Celtics^ 57–22 () Won NBA Finals Boston Celtics^ 60–20 () Won NBA Finals Boston Celtics^ 58–22 () Won NBA Finals Boston Celtics^ 59–21 () Won NBA Finals Boston Celtics^ 62–18 () Won NBA Finals Philadelphia 76ers^ 55–25 () Lost Division finals Philadelphia 76ers^ 68–13 () Won NBA Finals Philadelphia 76ers^ 62–20 () Lost Division finals Baltimore Bullets^ 57–25 () Lost Division semifinals New York Knicks^ 60–22 () Won NBA Finals
Titles by team Team Titles Season(s) won Boston Celtics 9 , , , , , , , , Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers 6 , , , , , Philadelphia Warriors 3 , , New York Knicks 3 , , Washington Capitols 2 , Baltimore Bullets 1
Season results ^ Denotes team that won the BAA/NBA championships+ Denotes team that lost the BAA/NBA Finals* Denotes team that qualified for the BAA/NBA playoffs
Season Team (record) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th1946: the Eastern Division was formed with six inaugural members. Washington* (49–11) Philadelphia^ (35–25) New York* (33–27) Providence (28–32) Boston (22–38) Toronto (22–38) 1947: the Toronto Huskies folded during the off-season, while the Washington Capitols left to join the Western Division. Philadelphia+ (27–21) New York* (26–22) Boston* (20–28) Providence (6–42) 1948: the Washington Capitols re-joined the division, while the Baltimore Bullets joined from the Western Division. Washington+ (38–22) New York* (32–28) Baltimore* (29–31) Philadelphia* (28–32) Boston (25–35) Providence (12–48) 1949: the Providence Steamrollers folded during the off-season, while the Syracuse Nationals merged from the National Basketball League (NBL). Syracuse+ (51–13) New York* (40–28) Washington* (32–36) Philadelphia* (26–42) Baltimore (25–43) Boston (22–46) Philadelphia* (40–26) Boston* (39–30) New York+ (36–30) Syracuse* (32–34) Baltimore (24–42) Washington (10–25) 1951: the Washington Capitols folded midway through the 1950–51 season. Syracuse* (40–26) Boston* (39–27) New York+ (37–29) Philadelphia* (33–33) Baltimore (20–46) New York+ (47–23) Syracuse* (47–24) Boston* (46–25) Baltimore* (16–54) Philadelphia (12–57) New York* (47–23) Boston* (42–30) Syracuse+ (42–30) Philadelphia (29–43) Baltimore (16–56) 1954: the Baltimore Bullets folded during the 1954–55 season. Syracuse^ (43–29) New York* (38–34) Boston* (36–36) Philadelphia (33–39) Philadelphia^ (45–27) Boston* (39–33) Syracuse* (35–37) New York (35–37) Boston^ (44–28) Syracuse* (38–34) Philadelphia* (37–35) New York (36–36) Boston+ (49–23) Syracuse* (41–31) Philadelphia* (37–35) New York (35–37) Boston^ (52–20) New York* (40–32) Syracuse* (35–37) Philadelphia (32–40) Boston^ (59–16) Philadelphia* (49–26) Syracuse* (45–30) New York (27–48) Boston^ (57–22) Philadelphia* (46–33) Syracuse* (38–41) New York (21–58) Boston^ (60–20) Philadelphia* (49–31) Syracuse* (41–39) New York (29–51) 1962: the Cincinnati Royals were shifted from the Western Division, because the Philadelphia Warriors relocated and joined the Western Division as the San Francisco Warriors. Boston^ (58–22) Syracuse* (48–32) Cincinnati* (42–38) New York (21–59) 1963: the Syracuse Nationals relocated and became the Philadelphia 76ers. Boston^ (59–21) Cincinnati* (55–25) Philadelphia* (34–46) New York (22–58) Boston^ (62–18) Cincinnati* (48–32) Philadelphia* (40–40) New York (31–49) Philadelphia* (55–25) Boston^ (54–26) Cincinnati* (45–35) New York (30–50) 1966: the Baltimore Bullets joined from the Western Division. Philadelphia^ (68–13) Boston* (60–21) Cincinnati* (39–42) New York* (36–45) Baltimore (20–61) 1967: the Detroit Pistons joined from the Western Division. Philadelphia* (62–20) Boston^ (54–28) New York* (43–39) Detroit* (40–42) Cincinnati (39–43) Baltimore (36–46) 1968: an expansion team, the Milwaukee Bucks, joined the division. Baltimore* (57–25) Philadelphia* (55–27) New York* (54–28) Boston^ (48–34) Cincinnati (41–41) Detroit (32–50) Milwaukee (27–55) New York^ (60–22) Milwaukee* (56–26) Baltimore* (50–32) Philadelphia* (42–40) Cincinnati (36–46) Boston (34–48) Detroit (31–51)1970: the NBA divided the league into the Eastern and Western conferences. The Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers joined the Atlantic Division, the Baltimore Bullets and Cincinnati Royals joined the Central Division, while the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks joined the Midwest Division.
References