The Nats
1954 Photograph of the '54-'55 Championship Nats
From 1946-1963, Syracuse, NY had its very own NBA team. The Syracuse Nationals, or the Nats pictured here in their 1954-1955 championship season, competed against bigger cities like Boston, and New York, as well as other mid size cities like Rochester and Fort Wayne. The Nats were known for hard-nosed defense, a fast-paced game, and having the most obnoxious fans in the league. Although the Nats were from a smaller city, the team was consistently solid, reaching the championships in 1950 and 1954 before finally winning it all in 1955.
Undated Photograph L to R: Danny Biasone, Ed Peterson, Alex Hanium, Dolph Schayes
On the far left, Danny Biasone, the founder and vice president of the Nats, stands on a chair to match the height of his star player, Dolph Schayes, far right. Schayes and Biasone were the driving forces behind the Nats. In fact, Biasone was the reason there was an NBA team in Syracuse at all. In 1946, Biasone, a bowling alley owner and sports enthusiast, invited the defending champs of the National Basketball League (NBL), the Rochester Royals, to come play an exhibition game in Syracuse. The Royals manager Lester Harrison refused. To get back at him, Biasone called the NBL offices and asked for a team. After this, the Syracuse Nats were born.
When the Nats were created, there were two main pro basketball leagues, the younger NBL and the more established Basketball Association of America, (BAA). In 1949, the two merged, due in no small part to smaller NBL teams snatching up the most talented players, like Syracuse did with Dolph Schayes. After the merger, the Nats continued in the new National Basketball Association (NBA) that still exists today.
1951 photo by Zalmanoff Studios depicting the 1951-1952 Nats in a pregame strategy discussion
One of the most defining features of the Nats were their raucous, out-of-control fans. The caption under this photo of a pregame talk claims that Nats season ticket holders were the “most loyal fans in sports history”. The fans rabidly lived up to this moniker. In the Nat’s first stadium at the State Fairgrounds, wires held up the baskets. When the opposing team went to the free throw line, fans would shake these wires wildly, jerking the basket around to throw off the "bad guys".
Refs were even more unwelcome even the opposing teams, and Nats fans would blame any loss on the refs. In a time when most fans watched calmly and gave polite applause, the Nats crowd would swear loudly at the refs and challenge them to fights. One fan in particular, “The Strangler” made Syracuse a dangerous place for refs. He attacked ref Charley Eckman in the early 50s, lifting him off the ground by his neck. The Strangler also reportedly took a swing at the George Mikan of the Minneapolis Lakers, the best player in the game at the time.
Photograph of Al Cervi (right) and an unidentified man (left) by Leslie H. Swenson for the Syracuse Post Standard. Taken between 1948-1953.
On the court, the Nats were known for their defense and physical play that sometimes led to brawls. This play style came from player coach Al Cervi (right). Cervi got his start with the Rochester Royals, playing there from 1945-1948. Cervi was a tough guy and nicknamed “The Digger” for his tenacity and drive to win. When Cervi arrived in Syracuse in 1948, the team was soft. Their star, Dolph Schayes, was innovative and talented, but he was a bit of a pushover on the court. His quick movements and fantastic scoring ability could be shut down by a physical team. Cervi’s coaching changed that. Although Schayes never worked as hard on defense as Cervi would have liked, he was definitely no longer a pushover.
Cervi’s hard nosed, non-flashy defensive style was epitomized in Earl Lloyd, the first African American man to play a game in the NBA, and who was the Nats' defensive specialist. Cervi remained an active player on the Nats until 1953. After 1953, Cervi stayed on as coach and led the team to their championship win in 1955.