Schayes joined the NBA in its third year of existence and along with George Mikan, Bob Cousy, Bob Davies, Bob Pettit and Bill Sharman, helped spur the league’s growth in the ’50s.

Schayes led the Nats to three Finals appearances and one NBA title, a grueling seven-game classic versus George Yardley and the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1955. The series produced one of the greatest and most underrated moments in Finals history – the George King steal in Game 7.

Syracuse’s favorite son and Hall of Famer turned 80 today and reflected on the Nats rabid following, King’s steal, the 24-second shot clock innovation, the greatest player of all time and his favorite current NBA player.

NBA.com: The 1955 Finals between the Syracuse Nats and Fort Wayne Pistons seems to be one of more underrated series in Finals history, especially the George King play in Game 7.

Schayes: Obviously, that series was overshadowed because it was between two of the smallest franchises in the NBA and it wasn’t covered universally. There is very little footage of that series and probably the newspapers didn’t go crazy for it. But it was big in Syracuse.

An interesting thing happened in that Fort Wayne didn’t play any games in Fort Wayne during the Finals. The building was being used by some other venue and they played in Indianapolis. In fact, that forced the Fort Wayne Pistons into Detroit because Fred Zollner, the Pistons owner, was so angry he told the mayor of Fort Wayne, “We’re getting out of here. We’re a major franchise in this city, part of the NBA, and we can’t even play in our building.”

Probably a contract was signed years before and they knew at that time they wouldn’t have the building. But still. They had to go to Indianapolis and they played well in Indianapolis. But they didn’t draw because the following was more in Fort Wayne. And they used to play at North High School in Fort Wayne. Then they built the Allen County Memorial Coliseum for the Fort Wayne Pistons. It was a wonderful building. They had an NBA All-Star Game there. But Fred Zollner, who would be the equivalent of a billionaire today, provided pistons for the automobile industry. That was the excuse for moving to Detroit.

NBA.com: How about Game 7’s final sequences in which George King got fouled and later made the steal to seal the victory and championship?

Schayes: George King was not a very good foul shooter. I think he was probably in the 50 percent range and it was a tie score and they fouled him purposely figuring he would miss. He missed one and he made one, which won the game 92-91. Then Andy Phillip was coming down the court – there was probably 10 or 15 seconds left – and usually we play man to man. I think George King might have been playing Frankie Bryan and Paul Seymour was playing Andy Phillip. Paul Seymour overplayed Phillip and made him turn and luckily George King decided to leave his man and double team. Phillip didn’t see him coming and he swiped and got the ball.

It was probably one of the great highlights in basketball that nobody ever saw. But the people in central New York have never forgotten it, even to this day. They have a tape of the Syracuse Nationals. We left town and they made a tape of our exploits over the 15 years in Syracuse and they show it. And they show it. And they show it. Everybody who is a sports fan in central New York has seen that play many, many times.

NBA.com: Talk about the homecourt advantage the Nats enjoyed playing at War Memorial Coliseum.

Schayes: Syracuse was the Green Bay of the NBA. You know Green Bay with the cheeseheads and those fans there, that is the type of fan we have in Syracuse. Syracuse was a blue collar town at that time. They had General Electric, a lot of steel mills, a lot of workers, and they had great pride in Syracuse. We were David against Goliath. We were the little town against New York, the little town against Boston, Philadelphia, and our fans were rabid. Not only that, but Syracuse averages 120 inches of snow every year. Our weather definitely was a factor. “We have to play in Syracuse? Oh, no. We have to go through that slush and the ice and then the fans and they’re a great team out there.” So the location, the fans, and of course we were a very good team. We just played well together any sportswriter of that time would tell you. In fact I remember talking to Earl Strohm, the referee who I got to know very well, and he said, “You know, Dolph, the Syracuse Nats play the greatest basketball. I love to watch you guys play.” The combination made us a tough, tough homecourt advantage.

NBA.com: What is your favorite War Memorial story?

Schayes: We’ve had many. The Celtics were our biggest rivals and of course in those years they didn’t have rules against fans being too obnoxious. So the fans behind the Boston bench would just ride the Celtics so much that a couple of times the Celtics players actually got up and went into the stands. We also supposedly had a legendary guy when the referees would come in he would grab them by the neck. One guy got on Sid Borgia, who was the best referee of the era, and this guy was sitting in the front row. The fan challenge him and they both stood up and Borgia took a swing at him. A lot of those things happened, but we’re playing the game so we have the blinders on. We were focused. We weren’t looking at the stands.

NBA.com: What was your best game as a pro?

Schayes: I think I once had 34 against the Knicks early in the ’50s. I had a helluva game where everything went in but the kitchen sink. You get those games where you just get on a roll and you’re unconscious. But I don’t remember one particular game because the Syracuse Nationals had a very unique record. In their entire existence in Syracuse from 1949 until 1963 when they went to Philadelphia, they made the playoffs every year. Every year. Of course in those years there weren’t as many teams in the NBA, but we made the playoffs every year.

NBA.com: You were considered one of the game’s first true power forwards. Who gave you toughest time on defense?

Schayes: There was a power forward named Mel Hutchins who was very quick, could jump well, and he gave me a lot of trouble. Later on in my career, it was noticed – I think Red Auerbach did this – that I wasn’t a good post up player. I didn’t play the pivot a lot because we had Johnny Kerr. So he started putting Frank Ramsey on me. He was like a small forward, like 6-4, and he had Russell behind him. And I didn’t have good post up moves. Also, when I would go to the basket or shoot the outside shot, Ramsey would take off because they had Russell. So now I was caught in between and they would get a lot of fast breaks because I would go to the boards and Frank Ramsey was down the other end. Those were problems for me. Cliff Hagan did that also. He was a small forward and he would take off all the time. So it wasn’t the power forward that gave me much trouble, but the small forward that gave me more trouble.

NBA.com: Talk about Nats owner Danny Biasone and his 24-second shot clock invention, including the events leading up to it.

Schayes: We had a playoff game against the Celtics two years before and Bob Cousy ended up with 50 points. He had 10 baskets and 30 free throws. It went into overtime and they won it. What happened was we would foul them and they’d foul us and Cousy was tough. He must have fouled out our whole team and they fouled out. The game was just one parade from the foul line to the other.

Something had to be done. I’ll never forget his words. He said, “Dolph, our game stinks. The coaches are killing our game.” Then he devised the shot clock. In the ’53-54 season the teams in the NBA averaged 60 shots a game, so 120 for the entire game. Forty-eight minutes equals 2,880 seconds. You divide 2,880 by 120 and you always come out with 24. That is how the 24 second clock came about, through that scientific mathematical formula.

Amazingly, that was 1955 and this is 2008, and it’s still 24 seconds. The perfect time even though the game has changed. Maybe today they might take 80 shots a game or a shot every 18 seconds. They tried to monkey around with the game but they’ve never monkeyed around with the clock. Colleges go 35 seconds, international is 30, but 24 is the perfect time for professional basketball in the NBA and it still allows for a lot of passing. People thought at the beginning you would have to get the ball and shoot it right away. You could pass the ball six, seven, eight times. You watch the games, even the college games at 35 seconds, when it comes down to the last two minutes and a team has a two or three point lead, they’ll milk the clock. Maybe the colleges should drop it a little bit. So do you know the most important development in the success of the NBA? It’s not Magic Johnson or Larry Bird or Michael Jordan. It’s the 24 second clock because those players wouldn’t be what they are today without the clock.

NBA.com: Who is the greatest player of all time?

Schayes: Oscar Robertson, without a doubt, was by far the most complete player and the best player to this day. Of course I’m loyal to my era. Michael Jordan was unbelievable. Kobe Bryant is unbelievable. But to me, Oscar Robertson is, was, and still is the best of all time in my book.

NBA.com: Who is your favorite current NBA player to watch?

Schayes: I love to watch Allen Iverson because he is such a competitor. He’s such a little guy and he plays hard all the time. It’s not easy 82 games, traveling, you’re tired and your wife is on your back for not taking out the garbage, and they get paid pretty well, but still, he comes to play every night. I love to watch him play.

NBA.com: The NBA Playoffs are still the most special time of the year for you, aren’t they?

Schayes: There is a beginning of the season, a middle of the season, the end of the season, and then the playoffs. That is a special time. That’s not to say there isn’t incredible competition all the way through. There is. These guys are competitors. The intensity. I’ll never forget those first playoffs against the Lakers. We played them in two Finals early in the ‘50s. One went seven games, one went six games and the intensity was just unbelievable.