This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 5/26/2016.
A Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee in 1985, Al Cervi had success in both the NBL and NBA during its transition period. Cervi was All-NBL First Team three times and All-NBA Second Team once. The “coach on the floor” cliche is one heard often, but in 1949 Cervi was named All-NBL First Team and earned NBL Coach of the Year honors, as one of the more successful player-coaches to exist. As a coach, Cervi won a championship with the Syracuse Nationals during the 1954-55 season and the team’s trophy for accomplishing this feat was this featured ice bucket. In the book named, Moonfixer: The Basketball Journey of Earl Lloyd, Lloyd was quoted saying, “We had a party afterward, I think at Danny’s bowling alley, but it wasn’t like it is today. We didn’t even get rings. They gave us an ice bucket.” Lloyd was the first African American player in the NBA, just one of the few distinctive traits about this 1954-55 Syracuse Nationals team. The award measures 10” at its widest, and 12” at its tallest. Etched into the front is “PRESENTED TO - AL CERVI - WORLD CHAMPIONS - SYRACUSE NATIONALS - 1954-55 - BY THE - STOCKHOLDERS”. On each side of the trophy is a golden lion with rings through its mouth for transport. The top of the trophy features a six-inch golden basketball figure with ball in hand. Stamped into the bottom is “A RAY E. DODGE PRODUCT”. The inside plastic of the bowl has cracks, but there are no cracks on the actual trophy. There is pitting on the inside of the bowl. The trophy is in EX condition overall. We were told by our consignor that this award was originally sourced from the family Cervi family over 20 years ago.