1947-55 Top 10: #5, Bob Davies

TBCB continues to celebrate the early fifties by counting down the best NBA players who played between 1947 and 1955. As we work through the countdown of the ten men who won the most TBCB player of the game awards, the top five men on this list who are not already members of the TBCB Hall of Fame will be inducted. Hall of Fame eligibility rules and requirements are described here.

At number five, we recognize Bob Davies, a member of the TBCB Hall of Fame's class of 1950. A six foot one guard/forward, Seton Hall's Bob Davies, called The Harrisburg Houdini, joined the Navy after college and was one of many players who played in military leagues during World War II.

In 1945, he began his full-time professional career with the National Basketball League's (NBL) Rochester Royals. In 1948, the Royals joined the Basketball Association of America (BAA), and the following year the NBL and BAA merged to form the NBA. Winners of the 1951 NBA championship, Davies' Royals were the only team other than the Minneapolis Lakers to win a BAA or NBA championship during the George Mikan era. Davies also had a short coaching career, leading Seton Hall to a 24-3 record during the 1946-47 season while also playing for the Royals.



Between 1947 and 1955, Davies won TBCB player of the game honors 22 times. He was the 1948-49 TBCB Player of the Year and finished third in the TBCB Player standings the following season. Bob Davies' other accomplishments include being named to the All BAA or NBA Team each season from 1949 to 1953 and being named to the first four All-Star teams (1951-54). He was also named to the NBA's 25th Anniversary Team in 1971.

Stay tuned for more as we continue explore the early 1950s and count down the top NBA players between 1947 and 1955. Coming soon, we'll reveal number four on the list and review the 1952-53 NBA season.