Dolph Schayes and a group of teammates scrimmaged in a small, stuffy high school gym exactly 50 years ago.
The short, otherwise forgettable workout helped rescue the NBA and transform professional basketball from a plodding, chesslike contest into a fast-paced, gravity-defying game.
"I remember we were all huffing and puffing," the 76-year-old Hall of Famer said. "It was summer, so we were out of shape anyway. It certainly changed the tempo of play. It was all running. No standing around. It made the game more fun to play."
*snip*
In those early days, NBA games were low scoring, played at a poke-along pace that was threatening to kill pro basketball as a spectator sport before it even got started. With no shot clock, a team with a lead in the fourth quarter simply stalled until the clock ran down.
The lowest scoring game in NBA history was on Nov. 22, 1950, when the Fort Wayne Pistons defeated the Minneapolis Lakers, 19-18. Fort Wayne outscored the Lakers in the final quarter, 3-1.
(edited by JayJayDean on 10.8.04 1230) “To get ass, you’ve got to bring ass." -- Roy Jones Jr.
"Your input has been noted. I hope you don't take it personally if I disregard it." -- Guru Zim
Yup, it can be said with no sense of hyperbole that the 24-second shot clock literally saved the game. Without it, basketball might have died off 50 years ago, and I'd have nothing to talk about from November to June. LOL...
“Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis?” “Ah, if there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say.”
--Janine and Winston, Ghostbusters
Two-Time Wiener of the Day (5/27/02; 7/3/02)
Certified RFMC Member-- Ask To See My Credentials!
What is amazing, though, is the fact that College Basketball made it along for another 32 years before they got around to a shot clock.
I don't think it was basketball in general, it's just that NBA basketball of the day, with the six-foot lane no less, was just boring as compared to college.
Originally posted by JayJayDeanThe lowest scoring game in NBA history was on Nov. 22, 1950, when the Fort Wayne Pistons defeated the Minneapolis Lakers, 19-18. Fort Wayne outscored the Lakers in the final quarter, 3-1.
Man that was probably almost as boring as the last Pistons/Lakers game that was played. *rimshot*
Annoying=ESPN, they got so carried away on this movie that they are airing two versions a the same time. ESPN Season on the Brink=TVMA Version ESPN 2 SEASON on the Brink=TV14 Version which one will you watch?
Thread rated: 5.20
#
