The Los Angeles Lakers are possibly the greatest franchise in NBA history. They are tied with the Boston Celtics with the most championships won, with 17. They’ve also been to the NBA Finals more than any other team (32 appearances).
On top of the team’s success, no NBA franchise has had as much star power on its roster as LA. They are NBA royalty. From playing in Los Angeles, the home of movie stars, it’s no wonder big-name players want to flock to the Lakers.
But did you know the Lakers did not begin their franchise in Los Angeles? Most people believe the franchise was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It’s true the team played and found massive success in Minneapolis, but did you know the franchise was founded in Detroit, Michigan?
Yes, the team started out as the Detroit Gems in the old National Basketball League (NBL) and was owned by C. King Boring. This was 1946, and the Gems finished the season with a horrid 4-40 record.
After one year, Boring sold his team to Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen, who moved the franchise to Minneapolis. The name change to the Lakers is because Minnesota is dubbed the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”
Since most fans know the Lakers were in Minneapolis before LA, we at Fadeaway World decided to ask this question. Why did the Lakers move to Los Angeles?
If you don’t know the answer to this question, don’t worry, we’ll explain it here in this article. Without further ado, this is why the Minneapolis Lakers moved to the City of Angels.
The Lakers Move To Los Angeles
The Minneapolis Lakers quickly became a dynasty in the NBA, the league’s first dynasty at that. In the 1947 Draft, the Lakers selected George Mikan with the first pick.
The addition of Mikan changed the Lakers’ entire fortune around. In Mikan’s first season with the Lakers, he led the team to an NBL championship.
The NBL is not considered to be a part of NBA history, so this title won by the Lakers and Mikan is not counted in the NBA record books. The league that is counted and is considered to be the ancestor of the NBA is the Basketball Association of America (BAA).
The year after the Lakers won the NBL championship, the team joined the BAA. Minneapolis won the final BAA championship in the 1948–49 season. The following year the league would officially become the NBA on August 3, 1949, when the BAA absorbed the NBL.
After joining the newfound NBA, Mikan and the Lakers won four out of the first five championships, making it five out of six, counting the last BAA season. Yes, the Minneapolis Lakers were the first NBA dynasty.
After the 1953-54 season, Mikan retired, citing injuries. Although he’d return to play in 37 games during the 1955-56 season, Mikan and the Lakers were no longer their dominant selves.
The Minneapolis Lakers would reach one more Finals, the 1959 NBA Finals. Minneapolis would take on the Bill Russell-led Boston Celtics. The Lakers would be swept, 4-0, becoming the first team swept in the NBA Finals.
After Mikan retired, attendance fell in Minneapolis. This, along with the team struggling, helped push the franchise toward relocation.
The biggest factor in relocation, and in particular, relocating to Los Angeles, was because of a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. In 1958, the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to Los Angeles. This move was a massive financial success for the team.
Back in 1957, a group led by Bob Short, a successful businessman, bought the Lakers from Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen. Short saw the Dodgers’ success in moving to Los Angeles and thus prompted him to move his Minneapolis Lakers to LA.
The move wouldn’t happen until 1960, but once the Lakers hit Los Angeles, they looked to bounce back to having a championship-contending team. The now Los Angeles Lakers made the NBA Finals six times during the 1960s.
Despite reaching the Finals six times during the 60s, LA lost all six times. They faced the mighty Celtics all six times, as well.
Even with the losses, the Los Angeles Lakers had stars like Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, which helped bring fans into the arena. The Los Angeles Lakers would finally win an NBA championship when they defeated the New York Knicks 4-1 in the 1972 NBA Finals.
The great Wilt Chamberlain won the first Finals MVP in Los Angeles Lakers history when he averaged 19.4 points and 23.2 rebounds per game. This would be the only title the Los Angeles Lakers would win during the 1970s.
Of course, everyone knows the LA Lakers, under the new ownership of Jerry Buss, would take over the NBA during the 1980s and beyond. With the addition of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, the Los Angeles Lakers reached eight Finals during the 1980s, winning five times.
After failing to win an NBA title during the 1990s, the LA Lakers took over in the 2000s. First, they won three straight titles from 2000-2002 while being led by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Then, Kobe helped his Los Angeles squad win two more titles in 2009 and 2010.
The Los Angeles Lakers would add one more title in 2020 during the famous Disney “bubble.” This time around, LA was led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
There’s no doubt the Lakers have become the most popular franchise in the NBA, and it’s because of their on court success and the fact they are Hollywood’s team. The smartest move made by the Lakers was undoubtedly moving to Los Angeles.
There’s no doubt the Lakers will be staying in Los Angeles for a very long time. The question is, when will the Lakers bring the City of Angels another NBA championship?
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
