1949–50 Minneapolis Lakers season

1949–50 Minneapolis Lakers season
NBA champions
Division champions
Head coach	John Kundla
Arena	Minneapolis Auditorium
Results
Record	51–17 (.750)
Place	Division: 1st (Central)
Playoff finish	NBA Champions (Defeated Nationals 4–2)
Stats @ Basketball-Reference.com
Radio	WLOL

The 1949–50 Minneapolis Lakers season was the second season for the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Lakers became NBA Champions by winning in the finals against the Syracuse Nationals in six games in the NBA Finals. It is the only team franchise to win the championship in each of its first two NBA seasons.

NBA Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	Nationality	School/Club Team
T	–	Vern Mikkelsen	F/C	United States	Hamline
–	–	Bob Harrison	G	United States	Michigan
–	–	Paul Walther	F/G	United States	Tennessee

Roster

The team.

Minneapolis Lakers 1949–50 roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Nat. Name Ht. Wt. From G/F 15 Carlson, Don 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Minnesota G/F 18 Ferrin, Arnie 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Utah F 20 Glick, Normie 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Loyola Marymount F 14/20 Grant, Bud 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Minnesota G 16 Harrison, Bob 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Michigan G 11 Hassett, Billy 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Notre Dame G/F 13 Jaros, Tony 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Minnesota G 22 Martin, Slater 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Texas C 99 Mikan, George 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) DePaul F/C 19 Mikkelsen, Vern 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) Hamline* F/C 17 Pollard, Jim 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Stanford G/F 10 Schaefer, Herm 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Indiana G/F 12 Stump, Gene 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) DePaul G/F 14 Walther, Paul 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 160 lb (73 kg) Tennessee	Head coach John Kundla Legend (C) Team captain (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended Injured

Regular season

Season standings

Central Division	W	L	PCT	GB	Home	Road	Neutral	Div
x-Minneapolis Lakers	51	17	.750	–	30–1	18–16	3–0	16–8
x-Rochester Royals	51	17	.750	–	33–1	17–6	1–0	15–9
x-Fort Wayne Pistons	40	28	.588	11	28–6	12–22	–	14–10
x-Chicago Stags	40	28	.588	11	18–6	14–21	8–1	11–13
St. Louis Bombers	26	42	.382	25	17–14	7–26	2–2	4–20

Record vs. opponents

1949–50 NBA records
Team	AND	BAL	BOS	CHI	DEN	FWP	IND	MIN	NYK	PHI	ROC	SHE	STL	SYR	TCB	WAS	WAT
Anderson	—	1–1	0–2	1–1	4–3	1–1	2–5	1–1	1–1	1–1	0–2	5–2	2–0	3–4	7–2	1–1	7–0
Baltimore	1–1	—	2–4	1–5	1–1	3–3	1–1	1–5	1–5	3–3	3–3	2–0	3–3	0–2	0–2	2–4	1–1
Boston	2–0	4–2	—	0–6	1–1	2–4	1–1	1–5	1–5	3–3	0–6	1–1	2–4	0–2	0–2	3–3	1–1
Chicago	1–1	5–1	6–0	—	2–0	2–4	1–1	2–4	2–4	4–2	2–4	2–0	5–1	0–2	1–1	3–3	2–0
Denver	3–4	1–1	1–1	0–2	—	0–2	0–7	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–4	0–2	1–6	0–7	0–2	2–5
Fort Wayne	1–1	3–3	4–2	4–2	2–0	—	1–1	2–4	4–2	4–2	3–3	2–0	5–1	0–2	2–0	2–4	1–1
Indianapolis	5–2	1–1	1–1	1–1	7–0	1–1	—	1–1	1–1	2–0	1–1	5–2	1–1	2–7	4–3	1–1	5–2
Minneapolis	1–1	5–1	5–1	4–2	2–0	4–2	1–1	—	5–1	4–2	3–3	1–1	5–1	1–1	2–0	6–0	2–0
New York	1–1	5–1	5–1	4–2	2–0	2–4	1–1	1–5	—	1–5	1–5	1–1	4–2	0–2	1–1	5–1	2–0
Philadelphia	1–1	3–3	3–3	2–4	2–0	2–4	0–2	2–4	1–5	—	1–5	2–0	2–4	0–2	1–1	2–4	2–0
Rochester	2–0	3–3	6–0	4–2	2–0	3–3	1–1	3–3	5–1	5–1	—	1–1	5–1	1–1	2–0	6–0	2–0
Sheboygan	2–5	0–2	1–1	0–2	4–3	0–2	2–5	1–1	1–1	0–2	1–1	—	0–2	1–6	3–4	2–0	4–3
St. Louis	0–2	3–3	4–2	1–5	2–0	1–5	1–1	1–5	2–4	4–2	1–5	2–0	—	1–1	2–0	0–6	1–1
Syracuse	4–3	2–0	2–0	2–0	6–1	2–0	7–2	1–1	2–0	2–0	1–1	6–1	1–1	—	6–1	1–1	6–1
Tri-Cities	2–7	2–0	2–0	1–1	7–0	0–2	3–4	0–2	1–1	1–1	0–2	4–3	0–2	1–6	—	1–1	4–3
Washington	1–1	4–2	3–3	3–3	2–0	4–2	1–1	0–6	1–5	4–2	0–6	0–2	6–0	1–1	1–1	—	1–1
Waterloo	0–7	1–1	1–1	0–2	5–2	1–1	2–5	0–2	0–2	0–2	0–2	3–4	1–1	1–6	3–4	1–1	—

Game log

1949–50 Game log
#	Date	Opponent	Score	High points	Record
1	November 2	at Philadelphia	81–69	Jim Pollard (30)	1–0
2	November 5	at Baltimore	92–77	George Mikan (28)	2–0
3	November 8	at Washington	68–66	Jim Pollard (21)	3–0
4	November 10	at Boston	98–84	George Mikan (37)	4–0
5	November 12	at Chicago	79–86	George Mikan (30)	4–1
6	November 16	St. Louis	94–71	Herm Schaefer (20)	5–1
7	November 17	at St. Louis	65–78	George Mikan (17)	5–2
8	November 19	at Anderson	80–83	George Mikan (34)	5–3
9	November 20	Indianapolis	121–95	George Mikan (29)	6–3
10	November 23	Baltimore	84–71	George Mikan (28)	7–3
11	November 25	at Denver	101–81	George Mikan (29)	8–3
12	November 27	Chicago	82–96	George Mikan (34)	8–4
13	November 30	New York	102–92	George Mikan (28)	9–4
14	December 1	at Indianapolis	68–86	George Mikan (33)	9–5
15	December 3	at Chicago	91–80	George Mikan (34)	10–5
16	December 4	Rochester	95–80	George Mikan (27)	11–5
17	December 7	Washington	93–76	George Mikan (35)	12–5
18	December 8	at Fort Wayne	66–87	George Mikan (27)	12–6
19	December 10	vs Denver	89–76	George Mikan (31)	13–6
20	December 11	Philadelphia	90–81	George Mikan (28)	14–6
21	December 14	at New York	84–94	George Mikan (38)	14–7
22	December 15	at Baltimore	68–87	George Mikan (34)	14–8
23	December 18	Boston	77–72	George Mikan (24)	15–8
24	December 20	at Rochester	62–87	George Mikan (26)	15–9
25	December 21	at Washington	75–61	George Mikan (21)	16–9
26	December 22	at Boston	69–87	George Mikan (21)	16–10
27	December 25	Fort Wayne	72–58	George Mikan (22)	17–10
28	December 26	at Tri-Cities	78–76	George Mikan (22)	18–10
29	December 28	Baltimore	88–77	Mikan, Pollard (24)	19–10
30	December 31	at Waterloo	86–68	George Mikan (35)	20–10
31	January 1	Anderson	87–75	George Mikan (38)	21–10
32	January 4	Fort Wayne	91–75	George Mikan (22)	22–10
33	January 5	at Sheboygan	82–85	George Mikan (42)	22–11
34	January 8	Boston	85–80 (OT)	George Mikan (30)	23–11
35	January 11	Syracuse	98–88	George Mikan (27)	24–11
36	January 12	at St. Louis	89–73	Vern Mikkelsen (31)	25–11
37	January 14	at Rochester	77–83	George Mikan (51)	25–12
38	January 15	Rochester	85–73	George Mikan (25)	26–12
39	January 17	at Boston	105–79	George Mikan (22)	27–12
40	January 18	at Washington	76–68	George Mikan (23)	28–12
41	January 19	at New York	94–83	George Mikan (31)	29–12
42	January 20	at Philadelphia	89–90	George Mikan (34)	29–13
43	January 22	Chicago	103–75	George Mikan (28)	30–13
44	January 24	at Chicago	80–68	George Mikan (40)	31–13
45	January 25	St. Louis	85–78	George Mikan (23)	32–13
46	January 29	Washington	88–60	George Mikan (31)	33–13
47	February 1	New York	96–81	George Mikan (35)	34–13
48	February 2	at Fort Wayne	79–78	Vern Mikkelsen (21)	35–13
49	February 5	Philadelphia	100–67	George Mikan (23)	36–13
50	February 9	Washington	71–59	Mikan, Mikkelsen (15)	37–13
51	February 12	Boston	88–70	Jim Pollard (29)	38–13
52	February 15	Rochester	92–70	George Mikan (34)	39–13
53	February 16	at St. Louis	72–71	Jim Pollard (25)	40–13
54	February 17	Waterloo	80–74	Vern Mikkelsen (20)	41–13
55	February 19	Chicago	96–83	George Mikan (33)	42–13
56	February 22	St. Louis	100–57	George Mikan (28)	43–13
57	February 25	at Rochester	64–66	George Mikan (39)	43–14
58	February 26	Tri-Cities	80–66	George Mikan (30)	44–14
59	February 28	Fort Wayne	71–65	Mikan, Mikkelsen (19)	45–14
60	March 2	at Baltimore	88–68	George Mikan (24)	46–14
61	March 3	at Philadelphia	61–66	George Mikan (21)	46–15
62	March 4	at New York	84–75	Mikan, Pollard (23)	47–15
63	March 5	at Syracuse	75–84	George Mikan (29)	47–16
64	March 7	Sheboygan	90–73	Vern Mikkelsen (19)	48–16
65	March 8	Philadelphia	68–65	George Mikan (34)	49–16
66	March 12	New York	87–66	George Mikan (32)	50–16
67	March 15	Baltimore	96–62	George Mikan (34)	51–16
68	March 19	at Fort Wayne	67–69	George Mikan (30)	51–17

Playoffs

Central Division First Place Tiebreaker

Rochester Royals vs. Minneapolis Lakers: Lakers win series 1–0

• Game 1 @ Rochester: Minneapolis 78, Rochester 76

Central Division Semifinals

• (1) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (4) Chicago Stags: Lakers win series 2–0
• Game 1 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 85, Chicago 75
• Game 2 @ Chicago: Minneapolis 75, Chicago 67

Central Division Finals

• Central Division: (1) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (3) Fort Wayne Pistons: Lakers win series 2–0
• Game 1 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 93, Fort Wayne 79
• Game 2 @ Fort Wayne: Minneapolis 89, Fort Wayne 82

NBA Semifinals

• (1) Minneapolis Lakers vs. (1) Anderson Packers: Lakers win series 2–0
• Game 1 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 75, Anderson 50
• Game 2 @ Anderson: Minneapolis 90, Anderson 71

NBA Finals

• (E1) Syracuse Nationals vs. (C1) Minneapolis Lakers: Lakers win series 4–2
• Game 1 @ Syracuse: Minneapolis 68, Syracuse 66
• Game 2 @ Syracuse: Syracuse 91, Minneapolis 85
• Game 3 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 91, Syracuse 77
• Game 4 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 77, Syracuse 69
• Game 5 @ Syracuse: Syracuse 83, Minneapolis 76
• Game 6 @ Minneapolis: Minneapolis 110, Syracuse 95

Awards and honors

• George Mikan, All-NBA First Team
• Jim Pollard, All-NBA First Team