The moment I first walked up to Tucker, I knew this man personified class. He had a smile and a glimmer in his eyes that I knew was only strengthened from the joy of he and his teammates being honored for their historic accomplishment. Now, I assumed a lot of people have probably asked him "What is it like to win an NBA Championship?" or other generic basketball questions time and time again. Instead, I wanted to pick his brain on his time in Syracuse and the state of basketball in the city. For the next ten minutes, I was treated to a thoughtful and honest conversation with Tucker. Every answer he had for me was pure, meaningful, and delivered in a cheerful tone. I asked him about playing in the War Memorial and how it stacked up to other arenas. Laughing, he called it the "Old Barn" or "The Barn" a lot, a name that still sticks with the arena to this day. He brought up playing in places like Madison Square Garden and the Boston Garden, but he still stood by that playing in the "Old Barn" was something all its own. I then asked him if he thinks the War Memorial has changed much since his time playing in there. He assured me that it probably has. Hopefully, he and his teammates will be proud of the state of the Barn and feel a warmth of being able to return to where the magic happen.
A topic I then brought up with him was the lack of professional basketball presence in Syracuse today. Being only 22 years old, I told him I have only read and heard about the Nationals and how wonderful it was when the NBA had a team in Syracuse. Honestly, I wish I was alive when the Nationals were still around. I explained that the city has nearly had some ABA teams come play here, but they disappeared as quick as they surfaced (my next article actually discusses this topic in-depth.) I asked him what it would take to get a team of any level to come and have success in Syracuse. His answer was straight forward, businessmen interested in a team and investors willing to back it. It makes complete sense. Why have the Chiefs and Crunch been main stays for so long here? Why have the Silver Knights come in and done so well? They have people backing them up not just in the stands and on the field, but in the front offices. If you think about it, the basketball teams that have tried to come here have had little to no support to even get them off the ground. He also agreed with me that using Syracuse University players from the past and tapping into the city's love for the Orange would not be a bad move either. If you can get some players from the school to come play after graduation, people who cheered them on up at the Dome may be more likely to come cheer them on if they play for a professional Syracuse team. He also said getting fans like the Crunch have would be beneficial as well.
The 24 second shot clock was also a talking point with Tucker. He told me it was a huge change for the game. Another memory jogger, the 24 second shot clock was created by National's owner Danny Biasone and was first used in the 1954-55 season. He told me that games become a lot faster with the new shot clock. No longer could teams hold the ball for long periods of time and keep the pace of play at a very slow. I compared the game before the shot clock to present day women's' lacrosse, a sport that is in desperate need of a shot clock.
As I wrapped up my conversation with Tucker, I explained that his teammate, Larry Costello, was born in my hometown of Minoa and the town has signs that honor him for being a championship basketball player. I could see Tucker's eyes light up and he smiled at this. I then thanked Tucker for not only talking to me, but for giving Syracuse something historic, something that it can always celebrate and take pride in. I congratulated him on the anniversary of the win, in which came with a firm handshake and another huge smile.
Jim Tucker is man that represents what athletes should be and a person that anyone can look up to. Tucker is truly one of a kind and is a great representation of the Syracuse Nationals team. I don't think I've met someone so polite, well-spoken, and genuine as Jim Tucker. He fully deserves the ceremony that he and his 1954-55 Syracuse Nationals teammates are receiving tonight at the Crunch game. With that, I also can whole heartily say that Howard Dolgan and the Syracuse Crunch organization have once again given someone the proper attention and recognition they deserve in the grandest of ways. Much applause!
Thanks/Credit:
Jim Tucker- Thanks for letting me pick your brain and giving me a memory I will cherish forever. The conversation ranks in top of my best career moments.
http://www.nba.com/history/24secondclock.html
http://syracusecrunch.com/news/2015/4/9/Crunch_0409154625.aspx
http://syracusecrunch.com/news/2015/3/23/Crunch_0323153303.aspx
Picture Credit: http://radiotimeline.com/wndr1955-Syracuse_Nationals.jpg