 Max Kase, sports editor of Hearst's "New York Journal-American", conceived the BAA and drew up its charter ... Kase's idea was to fill those empty dates with pro basketball.After Kase died, Walter Kennedy, the commissioner of the NBA from 1963–1975, said, "His personal involvement in the beginning of the NBA ... and his strong belief that pro basketball was destined to be a major sport were important factors in the growth and success of the NBA.