NBA Champions ·
1954 Minneapolis Lakers
The 1954 Minneapolis Lakers beat the Syracuse Nationals in a seven-game Finals to complete the first three-peat in NBA history. George Mikan led the team a final time at 18.1 points before his first retirement. Rookie Clyde Lovellette gave the Lakers a second scoring big man behind him.
Minneapolis went 46-26 and won the Western Division. The playoff format was odd that year: the West opened with a round-robin among its top three teams before the usual series. The Lakers came through it and reached the Finals again.
Mikan, now 29 and a step slower, still led the team at 18.1 points and 14.3 rebounds. Pollard scored 11.7 and Mikkelsen 11.1. Lovellette, a rookie out of Kansas, added 8.2 behind Mikan. Slater Martin and Whitey Skoog handled the guard spots.
The Lakers beat Rochester in the Western finals, then went the full seven games with Syracuse before winning the decider at home.
It was the third straight title for Minneapolis, the first three-peat the league had seen. Mikan retired after the season, and the Lakers did not win again before they left for Los Angeles. The next year the NBA added the 24-second clock, and the slow, Mikan-style game gave way to something faster.
Championship roster
Featured in Ring Holders Club
| Player | Role | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| George Mikan | C | 90 |
| Jim Pollard | PF | 82 |
| Slater Martin | PG | 78 |
| Vern Mikkelsen | SF | 80 |
| Whitey Skoog | SG | 72 |
| Clyde Lovelle | 6th man | 71 |
| John Kundla | Coach | 88 |
Ratings are year-specific curated estimates for Ring Holders Club, not official NBA stats.
Rest of the roster
| Player | Pos |
|---|---|
| Pep Saul | G |
| Dick Schnittker | F |
| Jim Holstein | F |
| Bob Harrison | G |