On this day in Boston Celtics history, the very first All-Star game in the history of the NBA was held in the old Boston Garden in 1951. The game itself was the brainchild of NBA President Maurice Podoloff, NBA publicity director Haskell Cohen and Boston Celtics owner Walter A. Brown, who conceived of the event in a league meeting during the 1950-51 NBA season.
Reeling from the embarrassing collegiate point-shaving scandal that would get the University of Kentucky the only NCAA “death penalty” ban, the professional side of the sport was looking for a way to boost its public image.
The league settled on the now-annual exhibition to do it.