The birth of the Knicks gets the founding-fathers treatment in a fabulous program to mark their first home game, against the Chicago Stags, in 1946. Owners launched the Basketball Association of America, a precursor to the NBA, at the Commodore Hotel in June 1946. Four months later, the Knickerbockers, named for the knickers the Dutch settlers wore in New York, took the floor. They won 10 of their first 12 games but faded to 33-27 and were knocked out in the playoff semifinals. Knicks fans would know that feeling for years to come. Overall strong EX+.