First NBA scorer dies at 94

OSCAR "OSSIE" Schectman, the former New York Knicks guard who scored the first basket in NBA history nearly seven decades ago, died yesterday. He was 94.

Schectman's son, Peter, confirmed his father's death, which was also announced by the Knicks. Peter Schectman said his father did not have a prolonged illness and succumbed after developing complications related to respiratory failure.

"Ossie Schectman was a true NBA pioneer," NBA commissioner David Stern said.

Schectman scored the opening basket of a game in what was then known as the BAA on Nov. 1, 1946 for the Knicks against the Toronto Huskies, a layup after cutting down the center of the lane. The Knicks wound up winning that game at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens, 68-66, and Schectman went on to average 8.1 points that season, his only one with the franchise.

The significance of scoring the first points in league history was lost on Schectman and others for decades. In a telephone interview, Peter Schectman said he wasn't aware of it until the league researched some of its points milestones in 1988, around the time Utah's Rickey Green scored point number 5,000,000 in league history.

At Long Island University, Schectman played under legendary coach Clair Bee for the school's undefeated NIT championship team in 1939. He was selected as a first-team Converse All-American in 1941.

In other NBA news:

* The Detroit Pistons acquired point guard Brandon Jennings from Milwaukee for Brandon Knight and two prospects, a source told the Associated Press.

* The Memphis Grizzlies signed three-point specialist Mike Miller, who was on Miami's last two championship teams.

* The Charlotte Bobcats re-signed guard Gerald Henderson, of Episcopal Academy.

* Texas A&M redshirt freshman Polo Manukainiu and a friend who was joining the Utah football team this fall were among three people killed in a single-car rollover crash in the high desert of northern New Mexico on Monday night. Manukainiu, a 19-year-old defensive lineman for the Aggies, and 18-year-old Utah recruit Gaius "Keio" Vaenuku were killed, officials from both schools said. Police said alcohol was not involved.

* A little over a week after he was suspended by Ohio State coach Urban Meyer for an alleged assault against a woman, running back Carlos Hyde had his case dropped by Columbus police when the alleged victim chose not to pursue charges.

* Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel could miss the first 2 weeks of fall practice while recovering from an appendectomy.

* Rutgers will retire the jersey number (52) of paralyzed former player Eric LeGrand.

* Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky each won her second gold medal of the swimming world championships in Barcelona, Spain, Matt Grevers led a 1-2 American finish in the backstroke, and the United States won three golds, two silvers and a bronze in the space of 2 hours.