Los Angeles. It seems fitting that such a glamorous city would play host to a team that has claim to so many of professional basketball's greatest stars. George Mikan, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson, all names that nearly every basketball fan has heard of and holds in high regard. Even now with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers are a star-studded team.
The Lakers started as the Minneapolis Lakers of the National Basketball League. Due to problems with the Chicago Gears franchise, George Mikan was sent to join the team. Standing 6'10", Mikan was the first true big man. He attended DePaul University, where thanks to the coaching of Ray Meyer, he was a three-time All-American, and led the nation in scoring during his junior and senior years.
In 1948, under the leadership of Mikan and 6'5" Jim Pollard, the Lakers posted a 43-17 record, and claimed the league title. After that season, the franchise left the league for the BAA, which later evolved into the NBA. During that season, they again claimed the title. As the first season of the NBA rolled around in 1949-50, nothing was any different, except for two notable additions to the roster-Vern Mikkelson (6'7", Hamline University) and Slater Martin (University of Texas).
In the finals, they would face the Syracuse Nats led by the great Dolph Schayes. In a tough series, the Lakers pulled off their third title in three years, each in a different league.
Mikan, or "Mr. Basketball" as he is also known, was a dominant force. Opposing coaches worried constantly about how to contain him. One technique that was used often was stalling. In addition, rules were changed to limit his dominance. The foul lane was widened, making it necessary for centers to work farther out from the basket, however Mikan was able to adjust. On March 7, 1954, an experimental game was played with a twelve foot basket. Perhaps this would slow Mikan down. The opposite was true, however, as he dominated more than before.
In the second year of the NBA's existence, the Lakers again posted the best regular season record. However, the Lakers (with a hobbled George Mikan) lost to the Rochester Royals, who were led by Arnie Risen, Bob Davies, and Bobby Wanzer, in the semifinals. The next season brought back the same old story. The Lakers advanced to the finals where they defeated the New York Knicks 4-3 in the series. The next season, they again won the finals 4-1 over the Knicks.
The next season, the Lakers would suit up four future hall-of-famers, Mikan, Pollard, Mikkelson, and a rookie from Kansas Univerisity named Clyde Lovelette. Again, the Lakers boasted the best regular-season record. The finals would be played against a Syracuse Nats team, whose star Dolph Schayes had a fractured wrist. The Nats pushed the series to a seventh and final game. The Lakers height advantage proved to be to much, however, as they won 87-80 to claim their third title in a row. It was a fitting end to the great Mikan's career, as he announced his retirement before the beginning of the next season. He did attempt a brief comeback in the fall of 1955, but it wasn't successful. As the 1954-55 season rolled around, the NBA entered a new era.
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