1953-54 NBA Season

As originally written by Tony Miller:

As JohnnyO mentioned in the Master Index thread in June, the NBA archive threads are difficult to follow. This begins (if you’re reading chronologically) or ends (if you’re reading in the order they were posted) a series of threads in which the NBA schedule has been changed to the presentation given in the MLB and NHL threads.

Here, then, are the 1953-1954 NBA commentator crews. Telecasts aired on the DuMont network; it was the one and only NBA season aired there.

At this time in history, the Bullets were based in Baltimore (they folded early the next season and are unrelated to the more recent Bullets). The Warriors (Philadelphia), Hawks (Milwaukee), Lakers (Minneapolis), and Pistons (Fort Wayne) are ancestors of their current NBA teams but have since moved. The Rochester Royals are now the Sacramento Kings, while the Syracuse Nationals became the Philadelphia 76ers.

The data below is taken from this thread, where it was posted by BD Sullivan, jdelachjr2002, and jtgrace1. Please do not hesitate to reply with updates and corrections.

DECEMBER

Saturday 12/12:

Bullets-Celtics, 2:30, DuMont. Marty Glickman, Curt Gowdy

Saturday 12/19:

Celtics-Nationals, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman, Curt Gowdy

Saturday 12/26:

Celtics-Hawks, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman, John Reddy

JANUARY

Saturday 1/2:

Nationals-Warriors, 2:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman, Dick Grossman

Saturday 1/9:

Lakers-Hawks, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman, John Reddy

Saturday 1/16:

Warriors-Bullets, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman

Saturday 1/23:

Warriors-Royals, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman

Saturday 1/30:

Hawks-Lakers, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman

FEBRUARY

Saturday 2/6:

Pistons-Nationals, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman, Dick Grossman

Saturday 2/13:

Nationals-Royals, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman

Saturday 2/20:

Pistons-Bullets, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman

Saturday 2/27:

Pistons-Warriors, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman

MARCH

Saturday 3/6:

Warriors-Nationals, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman, Dick Grossman

Saturday 3/13:

Nationals-Knicks, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman, Dick Grossman

Saturday 3/20:

East round robin, g4: Knicks-Celtics, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman

Saturday 3/27:

West finals, g2: Lakers-Royals, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman

(Note: The 3/20 game was disconnected with 10 seconds to go and the Celtics ahead 79-78. DuMont said the game ran longer than expected.)

(Another note: the 3/20 game likely ran concurrently with Indiana’s Milan-Terre Haute Gerstmeyer semifinal in high school basketball. Milan ‘54 was the team that inspired Hoosiers. Their game was second in a 2 p.m. EST doubleheader.)

APRIL

Saturday 4/3:

NBA Finals, g2: Nationals-Lakers, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman

Saturday 4/10:

NBA Finals, g5: Lakers-Nationals, 3:00, DuMont. Marty Glickman