Les Harrison Hall of Fame NBA

Les Harrison was a foundational architect of professional basketball, serving as a team owner, coach, and key negotiator during the NBA's turbulent infancy. As the owner and coach of the Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings), Harrison built one of the most disciplined and successful franchises of the 1940s and 50s. He was a primary driver behind the 1949 merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL), which officially created the NBA we know today.

Harrison was known for his keen eye for talent, recruiting Hall of Famers like Bob Davies, Bobby Wanzer, and Arnie Risen to upstate New York. His crown jewel was leading the Royals to the 1951 NBA Championship, defeating the New York Knicks in a grueling seven-game series. For his role in stabilizing the league and his championship pedigree, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980.

Harrison's Awards & Records

• NBL champion (1946)
• NBA champion (1951)
• Inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (1991)
• Recipient of the NBA’s Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award
• Rochester Sports Hall of Fame (Inaugural Class)

NBA Position