Local book recalls days of pro basketball in Syracuse

Jan. 26—Dave Stoodley remembers trips to Syracuse, sometimes through blizzard conditions, to watch basketball games.

But his destination wasn't the Carrier Dome, nor was his interest the Syracuse Orange.

These were the days when Syracuse featured a professional basketball team, one of the select few cities at the time that held an NBA franchise. Stoodley and a friend who grew up next door to him in Adams Center, would travel to the Onondaga County War Memorial, now known as the Upstate Medical University Arena, to view the Syracuse Nationals, the professional basketball team that called the Central New York city home between 1946-63.

Stoodley, a 1956 graduate of Adams Center High School who still lives in Adams Center, has written a book about the history of the Nationals, titled "When the Nats Held Court," which was released this past fall.

It's his fourth book on local sports connections, covering bygone eras. His first book was about the history of the Frontier League, then celebrating its 25th anniversary, which was released in 1988. He then wrote a popular book on the old Watertown Speedway, published in 2003. In 2013, Stoodley wrote "Chronicle of the Watertown Athletics and the Border Baseball League," covering the professional roots of baseball in Watertown.

Stoodley's book on the Nationals covers roughly the same period as that old Border Baseball League and in a similar fashion, providing a detailed, year-by-year look at the Nationals, including detailed statistics that offer not only a breakdown of every Nats player's statistics for each year but also the league-leading players' stats and the standings for each season.

"One of the reasons I did this was there are a few books about the Nationals and they're fine, but none of them have any stats in it," Stoodley said. "I wanted accurate stats, final games, top 15-20 scorers every year. I wanted stats. I like stats."

Stoodley's fascination with the Nationals began in 1954 when Syracuse was at the height of its powers. The Nationals began during the 1946-47 season as a member of the National Basketball League, then joined the NBA in the 1949 merger between the NBL and the Basketball Association of America. After a slow start, the Nats held their own and won their division in 1949-50, besting New York, Philadelphia and Boston.

Syracuse finished third in the Eastern Division in 1953-54 but advanced to the championship round, falling to the Minneapolis Lakers in seven games with Stoodley rooting them on.

Stoodley's favorite player was Dolph Schayes, a stalwart for Syracuse and one of the NBA's top players.

"He could do everything. He never missed foul shots," Stoodley said. "... He was a great rebounder and of course he was a natural scorer. He could drive to the hoop, he was 6-8, had a two-handed set shot, really deadly with it. He could not only go to the hoop and rebound but he could shoot from the outside. He was just a leader. You couldn't help but like him."

Stoodley chronicles each Nats season, charting the comings and goings of not only the Syracuse players but the constant franchise changes during a formative period for the NBA.

Syracuse remained one of the few constants during those days, thanks to owner Danny Biasone who ensured the franchise would stay in Syracuse despite financial losses and overtures to buy the club.

Biasone's backing of the 24-second shot clock, which the NBA instituted in 1954, helped not only save a game that was threatened by tedious stalling tactics but ensured the Nationals' legacy, Stoodley said, as Syracuse is often cited as where the shot clock began.

"They had to do something. Can you imagine college basketball without the shot clock?" Stoodley said.

Syracuse benefitted immediately from the shot clock's arrival, winning its first-and-only NBA title in 1955 against the Fort Wayne Pistons in seven games. The Nats rallied from a 17-point deficit to win the final game, 92-91, a feat that would have been much more challenging without a shot clock.

Syracuse never won another title although it remained a force in the league despite playing teams with stars like Bob Cousy, Wilt Chamberlain and Bob Pettit.

Stoodley mentions all of the stars, with abundant photographs, who each made their visits to Syracuse to play the Nats.

He recalled seeing the first game of the 1955 championship series against the Pistons at the War Memorial, a game won by Syracuse, 86-82. He also remembered a playoff game against the Boston Celtics a couple of years later.

"The place was just packed," he said. "There was 8,000-some seats but there had to be 9,000 people. The boards of the hockey rink, people were sitting on top of them."

But Syracuse struggled with attendance problems several years and by 1963, Biasone couldn't justify keeping the franchise going. In May of 1963, two months after the Nationals finished their 17th season, Biasone announced the sale of the team, which was then moved to Philadelphia and named the 76ers. Nats fans knew it was only a matter of time, Stoodley said.

"They made out the schedule for the '63-64 season for Syracuse, but Danny finally said that he got together with all the other stockholders and said, 'We've got to stop, we can't keep going like this.' They lost $39,000 and in 1963 that was a lot of money. They just couldn't do it anymore."

Stoodley went to a game in 1963 to see Schayes, on his final legs, and other favorites like Dave Gambee, Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Lee Shaffer and Johnny Kerr.

"I went down there and you could tell — and there was a pretty good crowd there that night — but they were saying, you know, 'enjoy the game because it might be the last one there.' Of course I didn't want to believe it, but I knew, you could tell it was over."

Stoodley said he combed the files of the New York Times, as well as the Watertown Daily Times, for statistical information, putting together year-end stats boxscore-by-boxscore.

"The early years were tough," he said. "It was all there, it was just very, very time-consuming. It might not be 100% accurate, but it's pretty darn close."

Pages without stats are sure to feature pictures as more than 150 photos pack the 70 pages.

The book sells for $20 and is available at the courtesy desk at the Watertown Daily Times. It's also for sale at the Syracuse Onondaga Historical Society. Stoodley said he also will send copies to those who request them. Contact number is 315-405-8853.