The 1955–56 NBA season was the 10th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Philadelphia Warriors winning the NBA championship, beating the Fort Wayne Pistons 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.
Notable occurrences The Hawks relocate from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to St. Louis, Missouri. The NBA hands out a Most Valuable Player award for the first time. Its inaugural recipient is Bob Pettit of the St. Louis Hawks. Also, the All-NBA teams are no longer positionless and now have two guards, two forwards, and a center on each team. The 1956 NBA All-Star Game was played in Rochester, New York, with the West beating the East 108–94. Bob Pettit of the St. Louis Hawks wins the game's MVP award.
+Coaching changesOffseason Team 1954–55 coach 1955–56 coach Philadelphia Warriors Edward Gottlieb George Senesky Rochester Royals Les Harrison Bobby WanzerIn-season Team Outgoing coach Incoming coach New York Knicks Joe Lapchick Vince Boryla
Final standings
Eastern Division
Western Division
x – clinched playoff spot
Playoffs
Statistics leaders + Category Player Team Stat Points Bob Pettit St. Louis Hawks 1,849 Rebounds Bob Pettit St. Louis Hawks 1,164 Assists Bob Cousy Boston Celtics 642 FG% Neil Johnston Philadelphia Warriors .457 FT% Bill Sharman Boston Celtics .867
Note: Prior to the 1969–70 season, league leaders in points, rebounds, and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.
NBA awards Most Valuable Player: Bob Pettit, St. Louis Hawks Rookie of the Year: Maurice Stokes, Rochester Royals
All-NBA First Team: F – Paul Arizin, Philadelphia Warriors F – Bob Pettit, St. Louis Hawks C – Neil Johnston, Philadelphia Warriors G – Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics G – Bill Sharman, Boston Celtics All-NBA Second Team: F – Dolph Schayes, Syracuse Nationals F – Maurice Stokes, Rochester Royals C – Clyde Lovellette, Minneapolis Lakers G – Jack George, Philadelphia Warriors G – Slater Martin, Minneapolis Lakers
See also List of NBA regular season records
References 1955–56 NBA Season Summary basketball-reference.com. Retrieved December 10, 2010