1953–54 NBA season
The 1953–54 NBA season was the eighth season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Minneapolis Lakers winning their 5th NBA Championship in 6 years, beating the Syracuse Nationals 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals. It was also the final time the Lakers would win an NBA Championship before the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1960.
| 1953–54 NBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Duration | October 30, 1953 – March 14, 1954 March 16–28, 1954 (Playoffs) March 31–April 12, 1954 (Finals) |
| Number of games | 72 |
| Number of teams | 9 |
| TV partner(s) | DuMont |
| Draft | |
| Top draft pick | Ray Felix |
| Picked by | Baltimore Bullets |
| Regular season | |
| Top scorer | Neil Johnston (Philadelphia) |
| Playoffs | |
| Eastern champions | Syracuse Nationals |
| Eastern runners-up | Boston Celtics |
| Western champions | Minneapolis Lakers |
| Western runners-up | Rochester Royals |
| Finals | |
| Champions | Minneapolis Lakers |
| Runners-up | Syracuse Nationals |
Notable occurrences
- The Indianapolis Olympians fold prior to the start of the season. Indianapolis would return to professional basketball with the Pacers of the ABA in 1967. The NBA returned to Indianapolis for the 1976–77 season, when the Pacers joined the Association as part of the NBA-ABA merger.
- The 1954 NBA All-Star Game was played in New York City, with the East beating the West 98–93 in overtime. Bob Cousy of the Boston Celtics won the game's MVP award.
- This marked the first year the NBA had a national television contract. The contract had the DuMont Television Network televising 13 games, paying 39,000 dollars for the rights.
| Offseason | ||
|---|---|---|
| Team | 1952–53 coach | 1953–54 coach |
| N/A | ||
| In-season | ||
| Team | Outgoing coach | Incoming coach |
| Milwaukee Hawks | Andrew Levane | Red Holzman |
Final standings
Eastern Division
| Eastern Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x-New York Knicks | 44 | 28 | .611 | – | 18–8 | 15–13 | 11–7 | 24–16 |
| x-Boston Celtics | 42 | 30 | .583 | 2 | 17–6 | 10–19 | 15–5 | 25–15 |
| x-Syracuse Nationals | 42 | 30 | .583 | 2 | 26–6 | 11–17 | 5–7 | 21–19 |
| Philadelphia Warriors | 29 | 43 | .403 | 15 | 10–9 | 6–16 | 13–18 | 19–21 |
| Baltimore Bullets | 16 | 56 | .222 | 28 | 12–18 | 0–22 | 4–16 | 11–29 |
Western Division
| Western Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Neutral | Div |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| x-Minneapolis Lakers | 46 | 26 | .639 | – | 20–4 | 13–15 | 13–7 | 19–13 |
| x-Rochester Royals | 44 | 28 | .611 | 2 | 18–10 | 12–15 | 14–3 | 22–10 |
| x-Fort Wayne Pistons | 40 | 32 | .556 | 6 | 19–8 | 11–17 | 10–7 | 17–15 |
| Milwaukee Hawks | 21 | 51 | .292 | 25 | 11–14 | 5–17 | 6–20 | 6–26 |
x – clinched playoff spot
Statistics leaders
| Category | Player | Team | Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Points | Neil Johnston | Philadelphia Warriors | 1,759 |
| Rebounds | Harry Gallatin | New York Knicks | 1,098 |
| Assists | Bob Cousy | Boston Celtics | 518 |
| FG% | Ed Macauley | Boston Celtics | .486 |
| FT% | Bill Sharman | Boston Celtics | .844 |
Note: Prior to the 1969–70 season, league leaders in points, rebounds, and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.
NBA awards
- Rookie of the Year: Ray Felix, Baltimore Bullets
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