1956 NBA All-Star Game: Complete Box Score, MVP and History

The sixth NBA All-Star Game was played on January 24, 1956, at the Rochester War Memorial Coliseum in Rochester, New York. The Western All-Stars defeated the Eastern All-Stars 108-94, earning their second victory in the first six years of the annual event.

St. Louis Hawks forward Bob Pettit delivered one of the most impressive performances in early NBA All-Star history. Coming off the bench, Pettit scored 20 points, collected an extraordinary 24 rebounds and distributed seven assists in 31 minutes. His all-around performance earned him the first of four NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player awards.

The Western All-Stars received additional contributions from Vern Mikkelsen of the Minneapolis Lakers, who scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Maurice Stokes of the Rochester Royals, who recorded 10 points and 16 rebounds in front of his home crowd.

Philadelphia Warriors center Neil Johnston led the East with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while New York Knicks forward Harry Gallatin added 16 points. Despite those performances, the East could not overcome the West's substantial rebounding advantage and explosive third quarter.

The game was the first NBA All-Star contest held in Rochester and showcased several of the league's most recognizable players during a period when professional basketball remained closely connected to smaller northeastern and midwestern cities.

The Eastern All-Stars opened the game with a 24-17 first-quarter lead. The West responded by outscoring the East 26-16 in the second quarter, taking a narrow 43-40 advantage into halftime.

The third quarter proved decisive. The Western All-Stars erupted for 41 points while holding the East to 24, turning a three-point halftime lead into an 84-64 advantage entering the final period.

The East outscored the West 30-24 in the fourth quarter, but the comeback was insufficient. The West secured a 108-94 victory, with its 41-point third quarter representing the game's defining stretch.

Head Coach: Charley Eckman, Fort Wayne Pistons

Leading Scorer: Bob Pettit, 20 points

Leading Rebounder: Bob Pettit, 24 rebounds

Leading Assists: Bob Pettit and Slater Martin, 7 each

Head Coach: George Senesky, Philadelphia Warriors

Leading Scorer: Neil Johnston, 17 points

Leading Rebounder: Neil Johnston, 10 rebounds

Leading Assists: Dick McGuire and Ed Macauley, 3 each

Selected but Did Not Play: Carl Braun, New York Knicks. Braun missed the game because of an injury. John "Red" Kerr of the Syracuse Nationals was his replacement.

Statistical note: The original NBAHoopsOnline box score lists 24 minutes, seven rebounds and two assists for Bill Sharman and Eastern team totals of 53 rebounds and 18 assists. Basketball-Reference lists 22 minutes, three rebounds and one assist for Sharman, producing team totals of 49 rebounds and 17 assists. The table above follows the Basketball-Reference figures; the original figures are documented here rather than silently discarded.

Abbreviations: MIN = Minutes; FGM = Field Goals Made; FGA = Field Goals Attempted; FTM = Free Throws Made; FTA = Free Throws Attempted; REB = Rebounds; AST = Assists; PTS = Points.

Bob Pettit was already establishing himself as one of the NBA's premier forwards when he arrived in Rochester for the 1956 All-Star Game. A year earlier, he had made his first All-Star appearance as a rookie with the Milwaukee Hawks. By January 1956, the franchise had relocated to St. Louis, and Pettit was emerging as one of professional basketball's most dominant rebounders and scorers.

Coming off the bench for the Western All-Stars, Pettit delivered 20 points, 24 rebounds and seven assists in 31 minutes. He made seven of 17 field-goal attempts and six of seven free throws, leading the West in scoring and rebounding while tying Slater Martin for the team lead in assists.

Pettit's 24 rebounds were especially remarkable. They accounted for more than 30 percent of the Western team's 79 rebounds and nearly half of the East's entire team total. His work around the basket helped the West control possessions and generate additional scoring opportunities.

The performance earned Pettit the first of his four All-Star MVP awards. He would win again in 1958 and share the award with Elgin Baylor in 1959 before receiving his fourth in 1962. His 1956 performance remains one of the defining games of the NBA's early All-Star era.

The Western All-Stars entered halftime with a narrow 43-40 lead, but the game changed dramatically during the third quarter. The West scored 41 points in the period, nearly matching its entire first-half output.

That offensive explosion gave the Western team an 84-64 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The East managed to reduce the deficit by six points in the final period, but the West's third-quarter advantage was too large to overcome.

The 41-point quarter also demonstrated the growing offensive capabilities of the NBA's top players. The Western roster featured an effective combination of experienced guards, powerful rebounders and emerging stars, with Pettit, Vern Mikkelsen, Maurice Stokes and Bobby Wanzer providing much of the production.

The West finished with 108 points, becoming the first Western All-Star team to reach the century mark in a victory. Its previous win, in 1953, had come by a much lower score of 79-75.

One of the most memorable individual performances in the 1956 game belonged to Maurice Stokes of the Rochester Royals. Playing in his home arena, Stokes recorded 10 points and 16 rebounds in just 20 minutes, making a major contribution to the West's victory.

Stokes was in his rookie season with Rochester and had already established himself as an exceptional rebounder and versatile frontcourt player. His combination of size, strength and passing ability made him one of the NBA's most promising young talents.

The 1956 All-Star Game was the first of three consecutive selections for Stokes. His career was tragically cut short after he suffered a serious injury in 1958, leaving basketball fans with only a brief glimpse of what he might have accomplished over a longer career.

His 16 rebounds in the 1956 game remain an impressive example of his talent, particularly considering that he played fewer minutes than any other Western player who reached double figures in rebounding.

Philadelphia Warriors center Neil Johnston was the leading scorer for the Eastern All-Stars, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Johnston made five of nine field-goal attempts and seven free throws while playing 25 minutes.

New York Knicks forward Harry Gallatin added 16 points, while Dolph Schayes of the Syracuse Nationals contributed 14. Paul Arizin of the Philadelphia Warriors scored 13 points and collected seven rebounds.

The East struggled from the field, making 30 of 87 attempts for a shooting percentage of approximately 34.5 percent. Although the team attempted more free throws than the West, it could not offset the substantial rebounding disadvantage.

Johnston's performance was part of an excellent 1955-56 season for the Philadelphia Warriors. Under head coach George Senesky, the Warriors would go on to win the NBA championship that season, defeating the Fort Wayne Pistons in the NBA Finals.

The Western All-Stars dominated the rebounding battle, collecting 79 rebounds compared with 49 in the Basketball-Reference statistical record for the East. The 30-rebound advantage was one of the clearest differences between the teams.

Bob Pettit led everyone with 24 rebounds, followed by Maurice Stokes with 16, Clyde Lovellette with 10 and Vern Mikkelsen with nine. These four players combined for 59 rebounds, more than the entire Eastern team.

For the East, Neil Johnston led with 10 rebounds, followed by John "Red" Kerr with eight and Paul Arizin and Bob Cousy with seven apiece.

The rebounding margin helped explain how the West could win by 14 points despite shooting only 39 percent from the field. By controlling the boards, the Western team created additional opportunities and limited the East's chances to recover from its third-quarter deficit.

The 1956 NBA All-Star Game was significant for several reasons. It was the first All-Star Game hosted by Rochester, the second victory for the Western Division and the first All-Star MVP performance of Bob Pettit's legendary career.

The game also represented an important moment in the history of the Rochester Royals. The franchise hosted the event at the Rochester War Memorial Coliseum, with Bobby Wanzer and Maurice Stokes representing the home team. The Royals would relocate to Cincinnati in 1957 before eventually becoming the Sacramento Kings.

The St. Louis Hawks were another important part of the game's history. The franchise had moved from Milwaukee to St. Louis before the 1955-56 season, and Pettit's MVP performance helped establish the team's new identity. The Hawks later relocated to Atlanta in 1968.

Several other franchises represented in the game would eventually relocate. The Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles in 1960, the Fort Wayne Pistons relocated to Detroit in 1957, and the Syracuse Nationals became the Philadelphia 76ers in 1963.

The Philadelphia Warriors later moved to California and became the Golden State Warriors. These original team names provide a valuable historical record of the NBA's changing geography during the 1950s.

Who won the 1956 NBA All-Star Game?

The Western All-Stars defeated the Eastern All-Stars 108-94 at the Rochester War Memorial Coliseum in Rochester, New York.

Who was the 1956 NBA All-Star Game MVP?

Bob Pettit of the St. Louis Hawks won MVP honors after recording 20 points, 24 rebounds and seven assists.

When was the 1956 NBA All-Star Game?

The game was played on January 24, 1956.

Where was the 1956 NBA All-Star Game played?

The game was held at the Rochester War Memorial Coliseum in Rochester, New York.

Who scored the most points?

Bob Pettit led all players with 20 points. Neil Johnston led the East with 17 points.

Who had the most rebounds?

Bob Pettit collected a game-high 24 rebounds, followed by Maurice Stokes with 16.

Who had the most assists?

Bob Pettit and Slater Martin each recorded seven assists for the Western All-Stars.

Who coached the 1956 NBA All-Star Game?

George Senesky of the Philadelphia Warriors coached the East, while Charley Eckman of the Fort Wayne Pistons coached the West.

How many fans attended the game?

The recorded attendance was 8,517.

Which player missed the 1956 All-Star Game because of injury?

Carl Braun of the New York Knicks was selected but did not play because of an injury. John "Red" Kerr of the Syracuse Nationals replaced him.

Was this Bob Pettit's first All-Star MVP?

Yes. The 1956 game marked Pettit's first All-Star MVP award. He would eventually win four, including a shared award in 1959.

1954 NBA All-Star Game - East 98, West 93 (OT)

1955 NBA All-Star Game - East 100, West 91

1957 NBA All-Star Game - East 109, West 97

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