The Los Angeles Lakers are tied with the Boston Celtics atop the all-time NBA championship list, but they wouldn’t be there without a few titles from their Minneapolis years.
Yes, the move from the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” to the “Sunshine State” is often forgotten when discussing the franchise’s history.
It shouldn’t be, though — the Minneapolis Lakers featured one of the greatest players in the history of the league in George Mikan, and they captured five championships before relocating to LA.
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How did the Lakers begin in Minneapolis?
As strange as it sounds, the Lakers truly started in Detroit.
Back in 1946, Detroit was part of the National Basketball League’s (NBL) expansion efforts. Maurice Winston, a jeweler, was the team’s owner, and he landed on an appropriate nickname: the Gems.
Unfortunately for fans in the “Motor City,” the Gems were… not great. They went 4-40 during the 1946-47 season.
“Their win percentage of .091 is the worst in the history of the NBL, the BAA, the NBA and the ABA,” historian Curtis M. Harris wrote in his Substack. “No pro team associated whatsoever with the NBA has been worse.”
After that terrible season, the Gems were purchased in 1947 by Benny Berger and Morris Chaflen, who relocated the team to Minneapolis and landed on a new nickname: the Lakers.
When did the Lakers move to Los Angeles?
The Lakers benefited from the Gems’ terrible season, earning the top pick in the dispersal draft. They landed the rights to Mikan, and a dynasty was born under Hall of Fame coach John Kundla.
Mikan and Kundla led Minneapolis to the NBL title in 1948, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) title in 1949 and NBA titles in 1950, 1952, 1953 and 1954. (The NBA recognizes the 1949 BAA championship but not the 1948 NBL championship.)
Mikan retired after the 1955-56 season, and the Lakers struggled to find success without him, finishing under .500 in each of the next four seasons. With fan interest and attendance rapidly dropping, Bob Short, who bought the team in 1957, made the move to Los Angeles official in 1960.
The Lakers have been in LA ever since.
How many championships have the Lakers won?
The Lakers have won 17 championships, a total only matched by the Celtics. They racked up five rings in Minnesota and have captured 12 titles in Los Angeles.
| Team | Championships | Finals appearances | Years won |
| Celtics | 17 | 22 | 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, 1986, 2008 |
| Lakers | 17 | 32 | 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1972, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2009, 2010, 2020 |
| Warriors | 7 | 12 | 1947, 1956, 1975, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2022 |
| Bulls | 6 | 6 | 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998 |
| Spurs | 5 | 6 | 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014 |
| 76ers | 3 | 9 | 1955, 1967, 1983 |
| Pistons | 3 | 7 | 1989, 1990, 2004 |
| Heat | 3 | 6 | 2006, 2012, 2013 |
| Rockets | 2 | 4 | 1994, 1995 |
| Knicks | 2 | 8 | 1970, 1973 |
| Bucks | 2 | 3 | 1971, 2021 |
