1956 NBA Finals Game 5 (Philadelphia Warriors vs Fort Wayne Pistons)

Lore & Background

The Warriors were led by future Hall of Famers Paul Arizin, Tom Gola, and Neil Johnston. Arizin and Johnston had won five of the six NBA scoring titles between the 1951–52 and 1956–57 seasons, while Johnston led the NBA in rebounding during the 1954–55 season. The team was owned by Eddie Gottlieb, who had bought the franchise in 1951.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the Philadelphia Arena hung heavy with floor wax and tension, the crowd roaring as if the building itself might buckle under the pressure. Paul Arizin dribbled low, eyes scanning a suffocating Pistons defense that refused to yield. When Johnston carved through the lane drawing double-teams, he kicked it out to the corner where Arizin waited. The shot didn't just arc; it hung in the rafters for an eternity before snapping the net. As the final buzzer sounded, the roar wasn't merely for points—it was a city reclaiming its NBA crown after an eight-year drought.

Reader's Guide

This game marked the Warriors' second championship overall, and their second as a Philadelphia team. The series victory came against the Fort Wayne Pistons, who were defeated four games to one.

Did You Know?

• The Warriors won their first championship in the BAA's inaugural 1946–47 season, defeating the Chicago Stags four games to one.
• The franchise was originally named the Philadelphia Warriors, a charter member of the Basketball Association of America, founded in 1946.
• Eddie Gottlieb, the team's coach and general manager, named the team after the earlier Philadelphia Warriors team he founded in 1917.