nba lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history, predating the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Founded in 1946, the Lakers are one of the NBA's most famous and successful franchises. As of 2006, the Lakers hold the all-time records for wins (2,806), winning percentage (61.5%), and NBA Finals appearances (28). The Lakers have won 14 NBA titles, second only to the Boston Celtics' 16. Their rosters have included some of the game's greatest players, including George Mikan, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant.
The Laker franchise began its existence as the Detroit Gems basketball team of the National Basketball League (NBL). The Gems were owned by Dearborn, Michigan, entrepreneur C. King Boring. The team played only one season in the NBL under the Gems name, posting a 4-40 record on the court and equally dismal results financially.
In 1947, Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen bought the Gems from Boring for $15,000. Boring would go on to own the Vagabond Kings, a professional team that found much more success barnstorming in the late 40's and early 50's [1] than the Gems had found playing in the NBL. Nonetheless, with the ultimate success that befell the Gems franchise in Minneapolis and Los Angeles, Boring's granddaughter claims that Boring later lamented that he did not maintain a minority ownership interest in the team for himself. [2]
Berger and Chalfen relocated the team to Minneapolis, with home games being played at the Minneapolis Auditorium. The "team" — all that Berger and Chalfen had actually purchased was equipment; since the team had appeared it was going to fold, all of its players had already been assigned to other NBL teams — was re-christened the "Lakers" in reference to Minnesota's fame as the home of literally thousands of lakes. Berger and Chalfen brought in Max Winter, later to become a founder and owner of the Minnesota Vikings franchise of the National Football League, 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.
As the Gems had 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 the one of the greatest centers of his time. With Mikan, new coach John Kundla and an infusion of former University of Minnesota players to replace those lost prior to the relocation, the Lakers won the NBL championship in their first season.
The next year, the Lakers switched to the 12-team Basketball Association of America (BAA), and proceeded to win its championship in that first season. As the BAA is considered the direct lineal ancestor of today's NBA, this 1949 BAA championship is recognized today as an official NBA championship for the Lakers; their 1948 NBL championship is not. This technically makes the Lakers the most successful expansion team in NBA history, since the NBA does not recognize NBL records and considers the Lakers to be a 1948 expansion team.
The next year saw the merging of the BAA and NBL to form the NBA and the Lakers won their third consecutive championship on the backs of Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen, and future National Football League coach Bud Grant. The Lakers' streak of championships came to an end in 1951 when they lost to the Rochester Royals in the NBA Western Division Finals. Nevertheless, they rebounded from that defeat to capture the title for the next three consecutive years, thus becoming the NBA's first "dynasty", having won five NBA/BAA championships in six years (and six championships in seven years, if their 1948 NBL title is included). In addition to Mikan and Mikkelsen, the Laker teams of these years also featured future Hall of Famers in Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, and Clyde Lovellette.
Injuries forced Mikan to retire after the 1954 season, and the Lakers missed him dearly. Not only that, but the NBA introduced rule changes (the 24-second shot clock and a limit of six personal fouls per team per quarter), which forced them to play an entirely new style of basketball to which they were unaccustomed. Lovellette led the team in scoring, but the Lakers fared so poorly in the 1955 season that Mikan was persuaded to come out of retirement for the 1956 season. His play was not up to his former standards, however, and halfway into the season, he retired again, this time for good. The 1956 Lakers would go on to make the playoffs, only to lose to the St. Louis Hawks.
The Lakers found their way back the NBA Finals in 1957, where they lost to the Hawks once more. The following year was disastrous, however, as Mikan became head coach and found he wasn't suited to the task. After compiling a 9–30 record, he stepped aside and was replaced by Kundla, but the Lakers found themselves last in the league that year with 19–53 record.
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. Baylor and Mikkelsen were able to lead the team past their recent nemesis, the Hawks, and into the Finals, where they fell to the then-emerging Boston Celtics.
1960 saw the Lakers start poorly, but they managed to make the playoffs with a meager 25–50 record, where the Hawks defeated them once more.