| 1953–54 NBA season | |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| 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 | |
| Finals champions | Minneapolis Lakers |
| Runners-up | Syracuse Nationals |
| NBA seasons | |
| ← 1952–53 | |
The 1953–54 NBA season was the 8th 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.
Notable occurrences[]
- The Indianapolis Olympians fold prior to the start of the season.
- 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 for the rights.
Final standings[]
Eastern Division[]
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Knicks | 44 | 28 | .611 | - |
| Syracuse Nationals | 42 | 30 | .583 | 2 |
| Boston Celtics | 42 | 30 | .583 | 2 |
| Philadelphia Warriors | 29 | 43 | .403 | 15 |
| Baltimore Bullets | 16 | 56 | .222 | 28 |
Western Division[]
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis Lakers C | 46 | 26 | .639 | - |
| Rochester Royals | 44 | 28 | .611 | 2 |
| Fort Wayne Pistons | 40 | 32 | .556 | 6 |
| Milwaukee Hawks | 21 | 51 | .292 | 25 |
C - NBA Champions
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 | 48.6 |
| FT% | Bill Sharman | Boston Celtics | 84.4 |
Note: Prior to the 1969-70 season, league leaders in points, rebounds, and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.
NBA awards[]
- 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
- Rookie of the Year: Ray Felix, Baltimore Bullets
Note: All information on this page were obtained on the History section on NBA.com