BOB DAVIES NBA HOF 1954 Christmas Card w/Original Hand-Addressed Cancelled Env For Sale

Offered for your consideration is a rare Christmas card for 1954, hand-addressed by Mr. or Mrs. (but appears to me to be Bob) Davies to famed autograph collector, and cancelled in Rochester, New York where Davies won the 1951 NBA Championship as the star of the Rochester Royals! Guaranteed to pass any reputable third party authentication. S/H is $4 and can be combined. Paypal only, due immediately upon close of sale. Thanks for looking and good luck!

Bob Davies(January 15, 1920 – April 22, 1990) was an American professionalbasketballplayer in the 1950s. AlongsideBobby Wanzerhe formed one of the best backcourt duos in theNBA\'s early years. Davies and Wanzer led theRochester Royalsto the 1951 NBA championship. Davies was also a former basketball coach at theSeton Hall Universityand was inducted to theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fameon April 11, 1970.

AlthoughBob Cousyis often considered the originator of the behind-the-back dribble, Davies actually deserves the credit. His Seton Hall coach,\"Honey\" Russell, once said, \"He had such uncanny control of the ball behind his back that it never concerned me. He made it look as easy as the conventional dribble.\"[1]

Davies entered Seton Hall in 1938 on abaseballscholarship, but Russell persuaded him to concentrate on basketball after seeing him practice once. Never a high scorer—his best college average was 11.8 points a game—Davies was a consummate passer and play-maker..\"[1]

Known as the \"Harrisburg Houdini\", Davies led Seton Hall to 43 consecutive victories from 1939 into 1941. His spectacular skills helped attract the largest crowd in basketball history at the time, 18,403 people, toMadison Square Gardenin March 1941, when Seton Hall beatRhode Islandin a quarter-final game of theNational Invitation Tournament.[1]

An All-American guard in 1941 and 1942, Davies joined theU. S. Navyduring World War II and led the Great Lakes Naval Training Station team to a 34-3 record before going overseas. After the war, he joined the Rochester Royals and played with them through the 1954–55 season.

Davies helped lead the Royals to anNBLtitle in 1946, and was named MVP of the NBL for the 1946–47 season. Davies was named to the NBA All-NBA First-Team four straight years, from 1949 through 1952, and he led the NBA in assists with 321 in 1948–49.[1]In his 10 NBL/NBA seasons, Davis scored 7,770 points, averaging 13.7 a game, and had 2,250 assists. He added 904 points and 182 assists in 67 playoff games. He was one of the ten players named to theNBA 25th Anniversary Teamin 1971.[1]

Davies coached Seton Hall in 1946–47, while playing with the Royals, and compiled a 24-3 record. After retiring as a player, he coachedGettysburg Collegefor two seasons, winning 28 games while losing 19.[1]The No. 11 jersey worn by Davies during his playing days with the Rochester Royals was retired by the team. The Sacramento Kings, the present holders of the franchise, continue the honor.