The 1949–50 Syracuse Nationals season was the first season for the Nationals in the National Basketball Association. The Nationals had played their three previous seasons in the National Basketball League, which merged with the Basketball Association of America to form the NBA. Al Cervi, nicknamed "Digger" for his superior defensive skills, guided the team with his competitive nature while serving as a player-coach. As the Syracuse Post-Standard describes, "The Nationals shot poorly but succeeded because they played Cervi-style basketball: nasty, with an emphasis on defense." The Nationals went to the NBA Finals after beating the Philadelphia Warriors and New York Knicks but lost to the Minneapolis Lakers in six games.
The legacy of Danny Biasone and his impact on the game of basketball might best be measured in 24 seconds. Biasone, the founder and owner of the NBA’s Syracuse Nationals, came up with the idea of the 24-second shot clock in 1954 and quickly convinced NBA brass that the clock was the key to speeding up the game. The clock was based on the logic that teams averaged 60 shots per game. Given that the players could use the entire time to shoot, Biasone figured teams might still average 60 shots per game, but play a faster and more exciting brand of basketball. The year prior to the shot clock, NBA teams averaged 79.5 points a game. With the implementation of the new device, teams averaged 93.1 points a game and the number of field goals attempted climbed from 75.4 to 86.4. Speeding up the game meant more than just higher scores. Fan interest soared and the NBA was on its way to better days. Biasone owned the Syracuse Nationals from 1946 to 1963 and won the NBA championship in 1955.
Offered is a 10x8 team-issued photo that has some wear to it, but is signed by 12 members of the team including the SUPER RARE autograph of team owner and Basketball HOFer, Danny Daniel Biasone (Deceased). In addition to Biasone, this photo possesses the hand-signed signatures of Ed Peterson (D. 1984), Dolph Schayes (D) (HOF), George Ratkovicz (D. 2007), Alex Hannum (D) (HOF), Leroy Chollet (D. 1998), Bill Gabor, Johnny Macknowski, Paul Seymour (D. 1998), Al Cervi (HOF), and Fuzzy Levane (D) (Haggerty Award Winner). Signed by everyone in the photo.
Full LOA from PSA/DNA.