- 1947
- 1947
- 1959
- 1960
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Lakers Formation
In the National Basketball League a fledgling professional league based in the Midwest the first year Minneapolis Lakers benefit when another rival league known as the Professional Basketball League of America folds. The expansion Lakers who already had a solid roster with forward Jim Pollard and playmaker Herm Schaefer added Center George Mikan who quickly became the most dominant player ... -
Drafted George Mikan
As the Gems had recorded by far the worst record in the NBL, the Lakers had the first pick in the 1947 Professional Basketball League of America dispersal draft, which they used to select George Mikan, later to become one of the greatest centers of his time. With Mikan, new coach John Kundla and an infusion of former University of ... -
Elgin Baylor Number 1 pick
The last place, however, meant the first pick in the draft, and the Lakers chose wisely, picking Elgin Baylor, who went on to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award after averaging 24.9 points per game and 15.0 rebounds per game. In 1959, Baylor and Mikkelsen were able to lead the team past their recent nemesis, the Hawks, and ... -
Move to LA
In 1958, the Brooklyn Dodgers of Major League Baseball moved to Los Angeles and quickly became a huge financial success. Short did not fail to notice this. After considering moves to Chicago and San Francisco, he decided to move the franchise to Los Angeles prior to the 1961 season, making the Lakers the NBA’s first West Coast team. The Lakers ...
History of the Lakers
The Lakers’ franchise began in 1947 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen of Minnesota purchased the recently disbanded Detroit Gems franchise of the National Basketball League (NBL) for $15,000 from Gems founder/owner C. King Boring, and business partner Maury Winston. They hired John Kundla as their first head coach.
Berger and Chalfen relocated the team to Minneapolis, with home games being played at both the Minneapolis Auditorium and the Minneapolis Armory. The “team” that Berger and Chalfen had actually purchased consisted only of equipment; since the team had appeared to be on the verge of folding, all of its players had already been assigned to other NBL teams. The franchise was re-christened the “Lakers” in reference to Minnesota’s nickname, “The Land of 10,000 Lakes”. Berger and Chalfen brought in Max Winter, later to become a founder and owner of the National Football League’s Minnesota Vikings, to become the Lakers’ new general manager. Winter also took an ownership stake in the team, which he would maintain until he left the Lakers in 1955.
Established
1947
City
Minneapolis – Los Angeles
League History
1949 – Present / National Basketball Association
1948 – 1949 / Basketball Association of America
1947 – 1948 / National Basketball League
Team History
1960 – Present / Los Angeles Lakers
1947 – 1948, 1948 – 1960 / Minneapolis Lakers
Nickname
Lakers – The Lakers nickname came from the state of Minnesota being the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Championship
NBA Championships 5
2010, 2009, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1988, 1987, 1985, 1982, 1980, 1972, 1954, 1953, 1952, 1950, 1949
Arena
2000 – Present / Staples Arena
1967 – 1999 / The “Fabulous” Forum
1960 – 1967 / Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
*Minneapolis*
1947 – 1960 / Minneapolis Auditorium
Owner
2013 – Present / Buss Family Trust
1979 – 2013 / Jerry Buss
1965 – 1979 / Jack Kent Cooke
1957 – 1965 / Bob Short
1948 – 1957 / Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen
To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.
Retired Number
8 / Kobe Bryant
13 / Wilt Chamberlain
22 / Elgin Baylor
24 / Kobe Bryant
25 / Gail Goodrich
32 / Magic Johnson
33 / Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
34 / Shaquille O’Neal
42 / James Worthy
44 / Jerry West
52 / Jamal Wilkes
MIC / Chick Hearn
*Blue is this team’s history