1946–47 Rochester Royals season

The 1946–47 Rochester Royals season was the franchise's second season in the National Basketball League (NBL). This also was the NBL's first official season where they actually implemented a drafting system similar to what the future rivaling Basketball Association of America (and later merging partner to become the National Basketball Association) had for the eventual NBA draft system a year later following the conclusion of their inaugural league season for the purpose of controlled player salaries and limiting the idea of outbidding other players outside of their own 12-player teams at hand (with the NBL having a budget of $6,000 this season), as well as implementing key players to signing binding contracts as soon as they could and the NBL looking to have full-time referees on display. The Royals finished this season with the best record in the NBL at 31–13, as well as beat the Syracuse Nationals 3–1 in the Eastern Division opening (quarterfinal) round and the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons 2–1 in the Eastern Division semifinal round. However, despite their best efforts, they could not repeat as champions of the NBL this season due to opposing center George Mikan proving to be too much for the Royals to overcome in a championship series, which resulted in Rochester losing the NBL championship 3–1 to the Chicago American Gears, who would end up leaving the NBL at the end of this season to start a new league that ultimately proved to be short-lived in its own nature, the Professional Basketball League of America. One reason for the Chicago American Gears ultimately defecting from the NBL was due to their league commissioner at the time, Ward Lambert, considering the American Gears to only be the champions of the NBL Playoffs that season instead of the overall champions of the league since he inexplicably considered the Royals (who held the best overall record this season) to be the official league champions this season, with Lambert staying under that position for one more season before resigning under league pressure for Doxie Moore during its final season of existence.