Los Angeles Lakers · Franchise era 1 of 8
The Minneapolis dynasty: the Los Angeles Lakers story
Franchise era
1948–49—1959–60
The Minneapolis dynasty
Los Angeles Lakers
The story in one sentence
The Lakers won five championships in six seasons around Mikan and established the NBA's first true dynasty.
Mikan creates the league's first power
George Mikan, Jim Pollard and Vern Mikkelsen gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for west, baylor and wilt.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
No franchise has moved more seamlessly from one superstar era to another: Mikan, West and Baylor, Kareem and Magic, Shaq and Kobe, then Kobe's second act and the LeBron–Davis title.
1950
NBA Finals: Minneapolis Lakers vs Philadelphia 76ers
1952
NBA Finals: Minneapolis Lakers vs New York Knicks
1954
NBA Finals: Minneapolis Lakers vs Philadelphia 76ers
After 1959–60
What came next
Years of Finals frustration finally ended when the 1971–72 Lakers won 33 straight games and the championship.
The core