If ever a team deserved to win an NBA title, it was the golden 1954-55 Syracuse Nationals.
From a visual sense, the squad had been radiant for some time, thanks to the uniforms they donned during the first half of the 1950s. The road jerseys were a golden yellow with ‘Syracuse’ spelled out in cursive, red lettering across the chest. The home whites were even better, with ‘Nats’ in splendid cursive, gold font on the upper torso.
And, in a classic 1950s touch, the trunks featured a red, white, and black colored belt. Whatever it took to ensure those short shorts stayed firmly in place.
In addition to apparel, there was also a golden karma at play for the 1954-55 Nats.
That season was the first in NBA history featuring the 24-second shot clock, an instrument that would ultimately help save the NBA, and instigate faster, more innovative playing styles and maneuvers.
As it was, Syracuse owner Danny Biasone and general manager Leo Ferris were the key figures behind the shot clock’s implementation and creation for the 1954-55 season.
(Ferris figured that a high-scoring game usually had around 120 total shots, and a 48-minute game equated to 2880 seconds. So, he took 2880 seconds and divided it by 120 shots to arrive at the 24-second shooting limit.)
League-wide, average team scoring immediately surged from 79.5 points in 1954 to 93.1 points in 1955. That average would continue to escalate in the ensuing years.
The Nats during that 1954-55 season – as was always the case in that era – were anchored by power forward Dolph Schayes, who averaged 18.5 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. His partner in crime was guard Paul Seymour, who clocked in with 14.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per contest.
Beyond those two All-NBA players, the Nats ran a balanced assault courtesy of coach Al Cervi.
Center Ephraim “Red” Rocha came out of retirement rejoining the team to the tune of 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Rookie Johnny “Red” Kerr – in just over 21 minutes a game – contributed 10.5 points and 6.6 boards.
Rounding out the regular rotation was defensive forward Earl Lloyd (10.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG), point guard George King (8.9 PPG, 4.9 APG), and second-year guard Billy Kenville (7.1 PPG).
It was highly fortuitous as the home team won every game of the close series.
Playing Game 7 of the series held on Easter Sunday in Syracuse, the Pistons sprinted out to a quick 31-21 lead at the end of the first quarter. During the second period, Fort Wayne drove the lead up to as much as 17 points, 41-24.
In the pre-shot-clock era, a deficit of that size might have spelled doom for the Nationals, given that Fort Wayne could have deliberately slowed the game to a turtle-like crawl.
Instead, the shot clock helped force the issue, and the Nationals cut the Pistons’ lead down to 53-47 by halftime.
The rest of the contest was a tight struggle, as neither squad gained meaningful separation. Fort Wayne was led by the pivot play of seven-time All-Star and former LaSalle standout Larry Foust, who delivered 24 points. The Nats also leaned on their typical balanced attack, as seven players finished between 11 and 15 points.
As the game entered the final 30 seconds tied at 91, King stepped up to the hero’s throne.
Any good hero needs a bit of luck, and King’s Nats got it when Pistons forward George Yardley was called for traveling with 18 seconds remaining in regulation. King then received the ball and was intentionally fouled by the Pistons, which led to a penalty foul shot for King.
Fort Wayne’s decision to foul was a curious one, but the Pistons had lost 23 straight games in Syracuse. After blowing a 17-point lead in Game 7, perhaps they wanted to settle the issue in regulation in fear that overtime would totally turn the tide in the favor of Schayes and company.
Given the strategy, King was the best man to hatchet. Despite being a point guard, he was a subpar free-throw shooter. To make matters worse, he shot a career-low 61.1% during the 1955 season.
The Pistons knew there was a good chance King could miss the free throw. At worst, he’d make it, and they would still get the ball back for the final shot to win the game in regulation.
King himself knew the bind his poor foul shooting put the team in:
Well, a funny thing happened.
King sank the free throw with 12 seconds left, giving him a team-high 15 points. In fact, King improbably made each of his three free throws that game. How’s that for clutch?
And since King was already inexplicably feeling it from the foul line that game, why not make a crazy gamble?
Fort Wayne inbounded the ball to their point guard Andy Phillip, who brought the ball up court. As time ticked away, Phillip’s dribble got loose as he looked for an open man. Noticing the sloppy handle, King took his risk, swooping in to blindside Phillip.
The gamble paid off, as he stole the ball.
Perhaps knowing he’d pressed his luck too much for one game, King quickly flipped the ball over to his backcourt mate Seymour – an 81% foul shooter – who was able to dribble the game away.
It was a fitting culmination of the golden jersey Nats, which would continue sporting some stylish uniforms over the years, but no other would bask in that championship glory.
Ed. Note: thanks to Sean Kirst and Jay LaFountaine for research help with this article.