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The NBA in Central New York

The 24- Second Shot Clock

The original 24-second shot clock. Now housed in the Noreen Reale Falcone Library at Le Moyne College. Photo by Christina Huffaker Swendsrud

The 24-second shot clock, invented in Syracuse, saved the NBA. Before the clock was introduced in 1954, the game was stagnant and fans' enthusiasm was dwindling. Rules at the time allowed the team with possession of the ball to hold it indefinitely. This meant that as soon as a team had a slight lead, they would hold onto the ball and simply play keep-away until the game ended, preserving their lead. This was because if the team that was winning took a shot and scored, the ball would return to the opposing team, giving them a chance to catch up. The team in the lead wanted to offer no chance of a comeback, so they would just hold the ball.

The shot clock changed the rules so that the team in possession of the ball had 24 seconds to attempt to shoot a basket. If the time ran out, the ball would be given over to the other team. This killed the stall tactics, sped up play, and helped rope fans back into the game.

Undated photograph of George Mikan 

The slow-paced game was epitomized by George Mikan, pictured above. Mikan was the 6’ 10” forward for the Minneapolis Lakers, and dominated the game. He was a big man who liked to play in "the post," the space right below the basket. Mikan was lumbering and a bit slow, but if he got the ball in the post, he was going to score. The Lakers would take ages setting up to get Mikan the ball, which brought the game nearly to a standstill.

Other teams' offense was also slow. If a team managed to get ahead of the Lakers, they would slow the game down, playing keep-away. They knew that if they scored, the Lakers would get possession of the ball, and Mikan would inevitably score. In one of these games of attrition, the Fort Wayne Pistons beat Mikan’s Lakers 19-18. That’s a total of 37 points. Today, thanks to the 24-second rule, the average NBA game has about 224 points per game. 

Undated photograph of Danny Biasone, center, alongside two unidentified players.

Danny Biasone, center, a first generation Italian immigrant who owned the Syracuse Nationals (along with a bowling alley) came up with the 24-second rule. He was a long-time member of the NBA committee on rules, and introducing this rule was a crowning achievement. Biasone invented “the time,” as he called it, with the help of his General Manager Leo Ferris. Biasone and Ferris arrived at the 24-second number through some simple division.

2,880 seconds in each game ➗ 120 (average totals shots in a game) =  24 seconds

Since the 24 seconds were was based on the average number of shots, Biasone and Ferris found it more than fair, and the NBA accepted it. 

1961 Dolph Schayes Basketball Card 

The shot clock was introduced in the 1954-1955 season, the same year Biasone’s Syracuse Nationals won the championship. The Nats turned out to be perfectly suited for the 24-second rule. Alongside their gritty defense, the Nats were known for quick speed and excellent ball handling. The Nats star, Dolph Schayes, pictured here on a trading card, was perfect for the new game style. Dolph was a forward, a position that usually stuck under the basket, but that was not Dolph’s strategy. In contrast, Dolph was always moving, darting around the court. He was able to shoot from the outside. The Nats, led by Dolph, came to embrace the new 24-second rule.

1955 Cartoon by Fred Heyman. 

On the far right of this cartoon, the Nats grab the hand of "Miss NBA Eastern Championship." In the background, players from the Boston Celtics (L) and the New York Knicks (R), battle in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Nats had a "bye" during the first round that year, which means they automatically advanced to the next round without having to play. In the finals that year,  the Nats played against the Fort Wayne Pistons. Syracuse won the championships in a nail biting 92-91 struggle, a far cry from the 37 point game championship five years before.

1982 Telegram from George Steinbrenner to Danny Biasone.

The 24-second shot clock revolutionized basketball. Sports world legends, like Red Auerbach, a long time Boston Celtics manager and coach, heaped praise on Biasone for his innovation. Outside of basketball, people such as the eccentric and legendary Yankees manager George Steinbrenner praised Biasone, as seen in this telegram above. This telegram, sent in response to the announcement of Biasone's induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame, lauds Biasone as "1 of the finest selections any hall of fame made in any sport anywhere."

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