1953–54_Fort_Wayne_Pistons_season
1953–54 Fort Wayne Pistons season
NBA team season
The 1953–54 NBA season was the Pistons' sixth season in the NBA and 13th season as a franchise.[1]
The Pistons finished 40-32 (.556), 3rd in the Western Division. The team advanced to the playoffs, losing in a Western Division round-robin 4-0 to the Minneapolis Lakers and the Rochester Royals. The team was led on the season by center Larry Foust (15.1 ppg, 13.4 rpg, NBA All-Star), guard Andy Phillip (10.6 ppg, 6.3 apg, NBA All-Star), and first round draft choice Jack Molinas (11.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg, NBA All-Star).[2][3]
Molinas was named to the All-Star team, having played in 32 games before the league banned him for wagering on Pistons games.[4] Molinas was then suspended at the time of the All-Star game and was replaced by teammate Andy Phillip. He later sued the NBA for $3 million, claiming the league's ban was an unreasonable restraint of trade. Judge Irving Kaufman ruled against him in the case.[5]
The Pistons had drafted future Hall of Famer George Yardley in 1950, but they didn’t sign him until 1953. Even then, it was a struggle, as Yardley reportedly hated training camp, rejected the initial Fort Wayne offer of $6,000, electing to playing beach volleyball in California. Yardley this became the first rookie to hold out, until accepting an offer of $9,500, and then averaging 9.0 ppg in his NBA rookie season.[6]