1952 Minneapolis Lakers

The Lakers went 40-26, second in the Western Division, but graded as the best defensive team in the league. The NBA had widened the lane from six feet to twelve before the season, a change aimed squarely at Mikan, who set up close to the basket. He adjusted and kept scoring.

Mikan averaged 23.8, Pollard 15.5, and Mikkelsen 15.3, a frontcourt no one could match for size and skill. Slater Martin steadied the backcourt. Pep Saul and Bob Harrison handled the rest of the guard minutes.

Minneapolis got past Indianapolis and Rochester in the West, then faced the Knicks in the Finals. The series went the full seven games, and the Lakers won the decider at home.

The widened lane became known as a Mikan rule, one of several the league wrote to deal with him. It did not work that year. The same lane would widen again to sixteen feet a decade later, that time for Wilt Chamberlain.

Looking back, minneapolis beat the New York Knicks in seven games to win the 1952 NBA title, the first championship after the league doubled the width of the foul lane to slow George Mikan down. Mikan still led the team at 23.8 a game. Vern Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard gave the Lakers two more frontcourt scorers in the 15-point range.

The starting five was George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, Vern Mikkelsen, and Whitey Skoog. John Kundla coached the group with Clyde Lovelle as the primary bench scorer.

This was title number 4 in a Minneapolis Lakers run that stretched across consecutive or near-consecutive seasons. Repeat winners carried continuity from one year to the next.

The 1952 playoffs ran through divisional rounds before the Finals. The Minneapolis Lakers still needed four series wins in many years, but the league had fewer teams than the 30-franchise map used today.

The Minneapolis Lakers share a lineage with other banners from 1949, 1950, 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 beat the New York Knicks in seven games to win the 1952 NBA title, the first championship after the league doubled the width of the foul lane to slow George Mikan down. Mikan still led the team at 23.8 a game. Vern Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard gave the Lakers two more frontcourt scorers in the 15-point range.

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.