Walter A. Brown

American businessman

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June 22, 2026

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Walter A. Brown was an American businessman who played a pivotal role in the establishment of professional basketball in the United States. He was the president of the Boston Garden and was instrumental in the formation of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) in 1946. Brown believed that professional basketball needed strong financial backing, an emphasis on skill over physicality, and player contracts to ensure stability and success. His vision led to the BAA's merger with the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1949, creating the National Basketball Association (NBA).1

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basketball
U.S. professional basketball
…1946 under the guidance of Walter A. Brown, president of the Boston Garden. Brown contended that professional basketball would succeed only if there were sufficient financial support to nurse the league over the early lean years, if the game emphasized skill instead of brawling, and if all players were restricted…
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…1946 under the guidance of Walter A. Brown, president of the Boston Garden. Brown contended that professional basketball would succeed only if there were sufficient financial support to nurse the league over the early lean years, if the game emphasized skill instead of brawling, and if all players were restricted…
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Boston Celtics
…in Boston in 1946 by Walter Brown, the Celtics were charter members of the Basketball Association of America, a forerunner of the NBA (established in 1949). At the time of the team’s founding, Brown also managed the Boston Garden, on whose distinctive parquet court the green-and-white-clad Celtics thrived until the…
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…in Boston in 1946 by Walter Brown, the Celtics were charter members of the Basketball Association of America, a forerunner of the NBA (established in 1949). At the time of the team’s founding, Brown also managed the Boston Garden, on whose distinctive parquet court the green-and-white-clad Celtics thrived until the…
Read More