The 1952–53 NBA season was the seventh season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Minneapolis Lakers winning the NBA Championship, beating the New York Knicks 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.

1952–53 NBA season
LeagueNational Basketball Association
SportBasketball
DurationOctober 31, 1952 – March 17, 1953
March 17 – April 2, 1953 (Playoffs)
April 4–10, 1953 (Finals)
Number of games69-71
Number of teams10
Draft
Top draft pickMark Workman
Picked byBaltimore Bullets
Regular season
Top seedMinneapolis Lakers
Top scorerNeil Johnston (Philadelphia)
Playoffs
Eastern championsNew York Knicks
  Eastern runners-upBoston Celtics
Western championsMinneapolis Lakers
  Western runners-upFort Wayne Pistons
Finals
ChampionsMinneapolis Lakers
  Runners-upNew York Knicks
NBA seasons

Notable occurrences

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Coaching changes
Offseason
Team 1951–52 coach 1952–53 coach
Milwaukee Hawks Doxie Moore Andrew Levane
In-season
Team Outgoing coach Incoming coach
Baltimore Bullets Chick Reiser Clair Bee

Teams

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1952-53 National Basketball Association
Division Team City Arena Capacity
Eastern Baltimore Bullets Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore Coliseum 4,500
Boston Celtics Boston, Massachusetts Boston Garden 13,909
New York Knicks New York, New York Madison Square Garden 18,496
Philadelphia Warriors Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Municipal Auditorium 12,000
Syracuse Nationals Syracuse, New York Onondaga War Memorial 6,230
Western Fort Wayne Pistons Fort Wayne, Indiana War Memorial Coliseum 10,000
Indianapolis Olympians Indianapolis, Indiana Hinkle Fieldhouse 15,000
Milwaukee Hawks Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee Arena 10,783
Minneapolis Lakers Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis Auditorium 10,000
Rochester Royals Rochester, New York Edgerton Park Arena 4,200

Map of teams

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  Eastern Division   Western Division

Final standings

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Eastern Division

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W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-New York Knicks 47 23 .671 - 22-4 15-14 10-5 30-10
x-Syracuse Nationals 47 24 .662 0.5 32-2 10-20 5-2 26-15
x-Boston Celtics 46 25 .648 1.5 21-3 11-18 14-4 28-13
x-Baltimore Bullets 16 54 .229 31 11-20 1–19 4-15 10-30
Philadelphia Warriors 12 57 .174 34.5 5-12 1–28 6-17 7-33

Western Division

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W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
x-Minneapolis Lakers 48 22 .686 - 24-2 16-15 8-5 17-13
x-Rochester Royals 44 26 .629 4 24-8 13-17 7-1 27-13
x-Fort Wayne Pistons 36 33 .522 11.5 25-9 8-19 3-5 18-22
x-Indianapolis Olympians 28 43 .394 20.5 19-14 4-23 5-6 15-26
Milwaukee Hawks 27 44 .380 21.5 14-8 3-24 10-12 15-26

x – clinched playoff spot

Playoffs

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Division Semifinals Division Finals NBA Finals
         
E1 New York* 2
E4 Baltimore 0
E1 New York* 3
Eastern Division
E3 Boston 1
E3 Boston 2
E2 Syracuse 0
E1 New York* 1
W1 Minneapolis* 4
W1 Minneapolis* 2
W4 Indianapolis 0
W1 Minneapolis* 3
Western Division
W3 Fort Wayne 2
W3 Fort Wayne 2
W2 Rochester 1
  • * Division winner
  • Bold Series winner
  • Italic Team with home-court advantage in NBA Finals

Statistics leaders

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Category Player Team Stat
Points Neil Johnston Philadelphia Warriors 1,564
Rebounds George Mikan Minneapolis Lakers 1,007
Assists Bob Cousy Boston Celtics 547
FG% Neil Johnston Philadelphia Warriors .452
FT% Bill Sharman Boston Celtics .850

Note: Prior to the 1969–70 season, league leaders in points, rebounds, and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.

NBA awards

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See also

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References

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  NODES
Association 3
Note 2