1953 NBA All-Star Game

Exhibition basketball game 1953 NBA All-Star Game East West 75 79 20 14 21 20 20 15 22 22 Tuesday, January 13, 1953 Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Fort Wayne George Mikan Sid BorgiaBud Lowell 10,322 1952 1954 The 3rd Annual NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game played on January 13, 1953, at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, home of the Fort Wayne Pistons. The game was the third edition of the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game and was played during the 1952–53 NBA season. This was the only All-Star game held at Fort Wayne, as the Pistons would relocate to Detroit in 1957. It was also the first to be hosted in the state of Indiana; subsequent games were hosted in Indianapolis by the Indiana Pacers after they joined the NBA in 1976. The Western All-Stars team defeated the Eastern All-Stars team 79–75; this was the lowest scoring NBA All-Star game ever as both teams combined for 154 points. This was the West's first ever win over the East. Minneapolis Lakers' George Mikan, who led the West with 22 points and 16 rebounds, was named as the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. Coaches Minneapolis Lakers head coach John Kundla returned to coach the Western All-Stars for the third straight year. New York Knickerbockers head coach Joe Lapchick was named as the Eastern All-Stars head coach for the second time. Both the Lakers and Knickerbockers had led their respective divisions entering the month of January. Although New York was later overtaken by the Boston Celtics, reclaimed the lead, and was overtaken this time by the Syracuse Nationals less than a week before the game,https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_1953_standings_by_date_eastern_division.html 1952-53 NBA Standings by Date Basketball Reference June 21, 2026 these changes occurred after the cut-off date and did not affect Lapchick's selection. Roster The players for the All-Star Game were chosen by sports writers in several cities. They were not allowed to select players from their own cities. Players were selected without regard to position. Ten players from each Division were selected to represent the Eastern and Western Division in the All-Star Game. However, Fred Scolari suffered an injury and was unable to participate in the game; one other player was added to the roster. Eight players from the previous year's Western All-Stars roster returned, while only five players from the previous year's Eastern All-Stars roster returned. Eight players, Don Barksdale, Carl Braun, Billy Gabor, Mel Hutchins, Neil Johnston, Slater Martin, Paul Seymour and Bill Sharman, were selected for the first time. Barksdale, one of the first African American players in the NBA, became the first African American to play in an All-Star Game.https://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/11/obituaries/don-barksdale-69-one-of-first-blacks-to-play-in-nba.html Don Barksdale, 69, One of First Blacks To Play in N.B.A. March 11, 1993 The New York Times February 8, 2012 The Boston Celtics were represented by four players in the roster while three other teams, the Minneapolis Lakers, the New York Knickerbockers, and the Rochester Royals, were represented by three players each on the roster. The starters were chosen by each team's head coach. +Eastern All-StarsPos.PlayerTeamNo. of selectionsStartersGBob CousyBoston Celtics3rdF/CHarry GallatinNew York Knickerbockers3rdC/FEd MacauleyBoston Celtics3rdF/CDolph SchayesSyracuse Nationals3rdGBill SharmanBoston Celtics1stReservesF/CDon BarksdaleBaltimore Bullets1stG/FCarl BraunNew York Knickerbockers1stG/FBilly GaborSyracuse Nationals1stCNeil JohnstonPhiladelphia Warriors1stGFred ScolariBaltimore Bullets2ndG/FPaul SeymourSyracuse Nationals1stHead coach: Joe Lapchick (New York Knicks) +Western All-StarsPos.PlayerTeamNo. of selectionsStartersF/CMel HutchinsMilwaukee Hawks1stCGeorge MikanMinneapolis Lakers3rdF/CVern MikkelsenMinneapolis Lakers3rdG/FAndy PhillipFort Wayne Pistons3rdGBobby WanzerRochester Royals2ndReservesF/GLeo BarnhorstIndianapolis Olympians2ndG/FBob DaviesRochester Royals3rdC/FLarry FoustFort Wayne Pistons3rdGSlater MartinMinneapolis Lakers1stC/FArnie RisenRochester Royals2ndHead coach:John Kundla (Minneapolis Lakers) Game The West defeated the East by 4 points. The game was a tight contest with plenty of lead changes in the first three quarters. In the fourth quarter, West's Bob Davies scored eight successive points to give the West a lead.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7kUxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RhAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5348,5158564 West Nips East, 79–74, In All-Star Cage Tilt January 14, 1953 Milwaukee Sentinel February 8, 2012 The West outscored the East 22–20 in the fourth quarter to win the game by four points. However, the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award went to Minneapolis Lakers center George Mikan who scored a game-high 22 points and 16 rebounds for the West. Boston Celtics' Ed Macauley led the East with 18 points while Syracuse Nationals' Dolph Schayes recorded 13 rebounds. Despite losing the game, the East had more balanced scoring with four players scoring in double-figures while the West only had Mikan and Larry Foust scoring in double-figures. Both teams did not shoot well, the East had 37.9 field goal percentage, while the West only managed to make 35.4 percent of its shots. The combined 154 points scored is the lowest total points scored in an All-Star Game.http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/john_schuhmann/02/11/numbers.game/index.html These numbers get the All-Star treatment John Schuhmann February 11, 2010 NBA.com Turner Sports Interactive, Inc February 8, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20101202114443/http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/john_schuhmann/02/11/numbers.game/index.html December 2, 2010 dead Box score #eee January 13, 1953 Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana Sid Borgia Bud Lowell 10,322 Eastern All-Stars 75 Western All-Stars 79 20–20 14–15 21–22 20–22 Ed Macauley 18 George Mikan 22 Dolph Schayes 13 George Mikan 16 Cousy, Macauley, Schayes 3 each Andy Phillip 8 LegendPosPositionMinMinutes playedFGMField goals madeFGAField goal attemptedFTMFree throws madeFTAFree throw attemptedRebReboundsAstAssistsPFPersonal foulsPtsPoints +Eastern All-StarsPlayerPosMinFGMFGAFTMFTARebAstPFPtsStartersBob CousyG36 411 7 7 5 3 115Bill SharmanG26 5 8 1 1 4 0 211Dolph SchayesF/C26 2 7 4 413 3 3 8Harry GallatinF/C19 1 4 1 2 3 2 1 3Ed MacauleyC/F35 512 8 8 7 3 218BenchNeil JohnstonC27 513 1 212 0 211Billy GaborG/F25 0 3 0 1 5 2 1 0Carl BraunG/F21 1 4 1 1 3 2 2 3Paul SeymourG/F14 2 3 1 2 3 2 1 5Don BarksdaleF/C11 0 1 1 3 3 2 0 1Fred ScolariGDid not play due to injuryTeam totals2402566253158191575 +Western All-StarsPlayerPosMinFGMFGAFTMFTARebAstPFPtsStartersBobby WanzerG22 4 7 1 1 2 2 1 9Andy PhillipG/F36 4 9 1 1 6 8 2 9Mel HutchinsF/C30 1 8 0 1 6 5 2 2Vern MikkelsenF/C19 313 0 0 6 3 3 6George MikanC40 926 4 416 2 222BenchSlater MartinG26 210 1 1 2 1 2 5Arnie RisenC/F19 2 7 1 3 9 2 3 5Larry FoustC/F18 5 7 0 0 6 0 410Bob DaviesG/F17 3 7 3 6 3 2 2 9Leo BarnhorstF/G13 1 2 0 1 3 2 0 2Team totals2403496111859272179 References General http://www.nba.com/history/allstar/1953-all-star-game-recap/index.html 1953 All-Star Game recap August 17, 2011 NBA.com Turner Sports Interactive, Inc https://web.archive.org/web/20111118015152/http://www.nba.com/history/allstar/1953-all-star-game-recap/index.html 2011-11-18 August 28, 2011 http://www.nba.com/history/allstar/boxscore_1953.html 1953 All-Star Game Boxscore NBA.com Turner Sports Interactive, Inc February 13, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20071214231441/http://www.nba.com/history/allstar/boxscore_1953.html December 14, 2007 dead http://www.nba.com/history/allstar/recap_1953.html 1953 All-Star Game: West 79, East 75 NBA.com Turner Sports Interactive, Inc February 13, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20091202233730/http://www.nba.com/history/allstar/recap_1953.html December 2, 2009 dead https://www.basketball-reference.com/allstar/NBA_1953.html 1953 NBA All-Star Game basketball-reference.com August 28, 2011 Specific External links NBA All-Star Game History NBA.com: All-Star Game: Year-by-Year Results February 2012 1953 All-Star Game NBA All-Star Game, 1953 Category:1953 in sports in Indiana Category:January 1953 sports events in the United States Category:Basketball competitions in Indiana