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Basketball Hall Of Famer Al Cervi Dead At 92
Rochester, NY (AHN) – Basketball Hall of Famer Al Cervi, a pro basketball star who coached the Syracuse Nationals to the 1955 NBA championship, died Monday in a hospice in Rochester. He was 92.
A Buffalo native, Cervi, listed at 5-foot-11inch, was considered one of the pioneers of the sport and one of the strongest backcourt players of the 1940s and 1950s.
His relentless defense against the opposing team’s best offensive guard or forward and the way he drives to the basket earned him the nickname “Digger”.
Cervi first played for the Seagrams and Pros teams in Rochester, predecessors to the famous Royals of the National Basketball League and NBA.
While with the Rochester Royals, Cervi led the NBL in scoring during the 1946-47 campaign. He was recognized with the league MVP in 1947.
After the 1947-48 season, Cervi left the Royals to join the Syracuse Nationals as player-coach. He continued to perform this dual capacity after the Nats entered the NBA.
Cervi, a five-time All-Star as a player, coached the Nationals to their only NBA title.
In 1949, he was awarded the NBL Coach of the Year and later recognized with the NBA Coach of the Year in 1955.
Cervi hung up his jersey in 1953 but continued to coach the Nats until 1957.
In 2007, Cervi was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s NBA Preview issue: “Inch by Inch: The All-Time, All-Size All-Stars.
He was elevated to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985.
Cervi is survived by his wife of 68 years, Ruth; a son, two daughters and four grandchildren.
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