Minneapolis Lakers

From Minneapolis dynasty to Los Angeles legend.

The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history, having played and won championships in both the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Basketball Association of America (BAA) prior to the 1949 merger which formed the National Basketball Association (NBA). The franchise traces its roots to the NBL's Detroit Gems which was launched in 1946 and relocated to Minneapolis in 1947 to become the Lakers.

Quick Facts

Conference: Western
Division: Pacific
Founded: 1946
Arena: Crypto.com Arena
Location: Los Angeles, California
Sponsor: Albert
President: Rob Pelinka
Vice-presidents: Yao Williams II

Lore & Background

The franchise was founded in 1946 as the Detroit Gems, owned solely by C. King Boring, and played in the NBL during the 1946–47 season where it finished last with only 4 wins in 44 games. The team was sold to Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen of Minnesota for $15,000 in June 1947. Minneapolis sportswriter Sid Hartman helped put together the deal and later helped hire John Kundla as the first head coach. The team was re-christened the 'Lakers' in reference to Minnesota's nickname, 'The Land of 10,000 Lakes'.

Max Winter became general manager and took an ownership stake. The Lakers acquired George Mikan via the NBL's dispersal draft of the Chicago American Gears' players. With Mikan, coach Kundla, and an infusion of former University of Minnesota players, the Lakers won the NBL championship in their first season. In March 1948, they won the annual World Professional Basketball Tournament, and they went on to win the NBL finals in April.

The following season, the Lakers switched to the BAA and won the championship. The next year saw the merger of the NBL and BAA to form the NBA, and the Lakers won the inaugural NBA championship. The Lakers' three-year streak ended in 1951 when they lost to the Rochester Royals in the Western Division Finals, but they rebounded to capture the title for the next three consecutive years, becoming the NBA's first dynasty with five NBL/BAA/NBA championships in six years.

After Mikan's retirement in 1954, the team struggled. In 1957, the team was nearly sold to St. Louis businessmen before a local group led by Bob Short purchased the team for $200,000. The Lakers found their way back to the playoffs in 1957 but lost to the Hawks. The following year, Mikan became head coach but stepped aside after a 9–30 record, and the Lakers finished last with a 19–53 record.

Last place meant the first pick in the draft, and the Lakers selected Elgin Baylor, who won Rookie of the Year. In 1959, Baylor and Mikkelsen led the team to the Finals, where they were swept by the Boston Celtics, starting the rivalry. In 1960, the Lakers made the playoffs with a 25–50 record but lost to the Hawks. Owner Bob Short decided to move the franchise to Los Angeles before the 1960–61 season, making the Lakers the NBA's first West Coast team.

Reader's Guide

The Lakers are one of the NBA's most famous and successful franchises. As of August 2024, the Lakers are second in the NBA's all-time records for wins (3,550) and winning percentage (.591), and hold the all-time record for most NBA Finals appearances (32). They are second in NBA championship wins with 17, just behind the Boston Celtics with 18 NBA titles, and with nine more Finals appearances than the Celtics. Their team has had many NBA legends, including George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Clyde Lovellette, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis.