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Danny Biasone

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Sports Executive

The Resume

    (February 22, 1909-May 25, 1992)
    Born in Miglianco, Italy
    First owner of the Syracuse Nationals (1946-63)
    Convinced the NBA to adopt a 24-second shot clock (1954)
    Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame (2000)

Why he might be annoying:

    Part of the reason he advocated for the shot clock was self-interest: Nationals general manager Leo Ferris had assembled a fast-break team that could not use its speed when the other team went into a stall.
    Ironically, the increased popularity of pro basketball after the shot clock was introduced resulted in the NBA deciding it no longer wanted teams in mid-market cities like Syracuse. After years of pressure, they persuaded Biasone to sell the Nationals to a group of investors in Philadelphia.
    Despite immediate recognition that the shot clock had revolutionized the game, he was not inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in his lifetime.

Why he might not be annoying:

    Maurice Podoloff, the first NBA Commissioner, said about basketball before the shot clock, ‘The games were interminable. Attendance was suffering. We were in a desperate situation.’
    Average per game scores in the NBA jumped by thirteen and a half points the first season the shot clock was used.
    Bob Cousy said of the shot clock, ‘I think it saved the NBA. It allowed the game to breathe and progress.’
    He said, ‘I’m no expert on the game. I never claimed to be. But I knew fans weren’t paying to see the ball being dribbled around all night.’

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying