1949 Minneapolis Lakers

The Lakers went 44-16 in 1948-49 after moving from the National Basketball League to the BAA. John Kundla coached. Minneapolis scored and defended better than anyone, leading the league in both points scored and points allowed.

Mikan was the center of everything. He averaged 28.3 points, far ahead of the field, working from either hand near the basket. Jim Pollard, the leaping forward known as the Kangaroo Kid, added 14.8. Herm Schaefer ran the guard line at 10.4, with Don Carlson and Arnie Ferrin scoring off the wing.

Minneapolis swept the Chicago Stags and the Rochester Royals to reach the Finals, then beat Washington four games to two. Auerbach coached the Capitols here, years before he built Boston. Mikan averaged better than 30 across the playoffs.

This was the first BAA title for a team that had just dominated a different league. Within a year the BAA and NBL merged into the NBA, and the Lakers carried their edge straight into the new league.

Looking back, minneapolis won the 1949 BAA title in its first season in the league, with George Mikan leading the way at 28.3 points a game. The Lakers beat Red Auerbach's Washington Capitols four games to two in the Finals. They had already won the rival NBL championship the year before, so this was a title in a second league in as many seasons.

The starting five was George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, Vern Mikkelsen, and Herm Schaefer. John Kundla coached the group with Jim Krebs as the primary bench scorer.

This was title number 2 in a Minneapolis Lakers run that stretched across consecutive or near-consecutive seasons. Repeat winners carried continuity from one year to the next.

The full roster ran deeper than the headline names. Role players who mattered included Don Carlson (9.2 points a game).

Playoff formats in the late 1940s were still settling. The 1949 Minneapolis Lakers had to win multiple series against the best teams in the BAA, with travel and rest unlike the modern schedule.

The Minneapolis Lakers share a lineage with other banners from 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2020. Compare those seasons on the franchise hub to see how the roster and style changed between title runs.

Looking back, minneapolis won the 1949 BAA title in its first season in the league, with George Mikan leading the way at 28.3 points a game. The Lakers beat Red Auerbach's Washington Capitols four games to two in the Finals. They had already won the rival NBL championship the year before, so this was a title in a second league in as many seasons.

For the full roster beyond the featured starters, see the table on this page. For other Minneapolis Lakers titles, use the franchise hub linked below.