- 1946
- 1947
- 1955
-
Danny Biasone Owns the Nats
Owned by Italian Immigrant Danny Biasone the Syracuse Nationals begin to play in the National Basketball League, in the same year professional basketball was finally gaining some legitimacy with the rival Basketball Association of America that was based in large cities like New York and Philadelphia. While in the NBL with teams largely consisting of small Midwestern towns the Nationals ... -
Dolph Schayes Pro Debut
Several teams began to leave the NBL for the BAA as the foundation for an absorption was laid. Staying in the NBL, the Nationals signed Al Cervi to be player-coach as Dolph Schayes made his professional debut, leading the Nats to a winning record for the first time with a record of 41–22. In the playoffs the Nationals would make ... -
NBA Finals Winner 1955
With the NBA struggling financially and down to just eight teams Nationals Owner Danny Biasone and General Manager Leo Ferris suggested the league limit the amount of time taken for a shot thus speeding up a game that often ended with long periods of teams just holding the ball and playing keep away. Biasone calculated a 24-second shot clock would ...
History of the Nationals
In 1946, Italian immigrant Daniel Biasone sent a $5,000 check to the National Basketball League offices in Chicago, and the Syracuse Nationals became the largely Midwest-based league’s easternmost team, based in the Upstate New York city of Syracuse. The Syracuse Nationals began to play in the NBL in the same year professional basketball was finally gaining some legitimacy with the rival Basketball Association of America that was based in large cities like New York and Philadelphia. While in the NBL with teams largely consisting of small Midwestern towns, the Nationals put together a 21–23 record, finishing in 4th place. In the playoffs, the Nats would be beaten by the fellow upstate neighbor Rochester Royals in 4 games.
The playoff overtime loss on March 26, 1963, would prove to be the last game for the Syracuse Nationals, as investors Irv Kosloff and Ike Richman purchased the team from Danny Biasone moving the team to Philadelphia, filling the void left by the Warriors. Syracuse was the last of the medium-sized cities housing an NBA team, but by then it was apparent that central New York was no longer large enough to support it. The NBA thus returned to Philadelphia one year after the Warriors had left for San Francisco.
Established
1946
City
Syracuse – Philadelphia
League History
1946 – Present / National Basketball Association
1946 – 1949 / National Basketball League
Team History
1963 – Present / Philadelphia 76ers
1946 – 1963 / Syracuse Nationals
Nickname
Nationals – The Nationals refers to the nation as a whole, a way to think of everyone across the country. A very patriotic name.
Championship
NBA Championships 1
1983, 1967, 1955
Arena
1996 – Present / Wells Fargo Center
1967 – 1995 / The Spectrum
1963 – 1967 / Convention Hall & Philadelphia Arena
*Syracuse*
1951 – 1963 / Onondaga War Memorial
1946 – 1951 / State Fair Coliseum
Owner
2012 – Present / Joshua Harris
1996 – 2011 / Comcast Spectacor
1981 – 1996 / Harold Katz
1976 – 1981 / Fitz Eugene Dixon, Jr.
1963 – 1976 / Irv Kosloff
1946 – 1963 / Daniel Biasone
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Retired Number
2 / Moses Malone
3 / Allen Iverson
4 / Dolph Schayes
6 / Julius Erving
10 / Maurice Cheeks
13 / Wilt Chamberlain
15 / Hal Greer
24 / Bobby Jones
32 / Billy Cunningham
34 / Charles Barkley
– / Dave Zinkoff
*Blue is this team’s history