The 1953–54 NBA season was the eighth season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Minneapolis Lakers winning their fifth NBA championship in six 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.
Notable occurrences This was the last NBA season without the 24 second shotclock. The Indianapolis Olympians folded 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.
+Coaching changesIn-season Team Outgoing coach Incoming coach Milwaukee Hawks Andrew Levane Red Holzman
Final standings
Eastern Division
Western Division
x – clinched playoff spot
Playoffs
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
All-NBA First Team: George Mikan, Minneapolis Lakers Harry Gallatin, New York Knicks Dolph Schayes, Syracuse Nationals Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics Neil Johnston, Philadelphia Warriors All-NBA Second Team: Carl Braun, New York Knicks Ed Macauley, Boston Celtics Jim Pollard, Minneapolis Lakers Paul Seymour, Syracuse Nationals Bobby Wanzer, Rochester Royals
See also List of NBA regular season records
References 1953–54 NBA Season Summary basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 10, 2010