The 1955-56 Los Angeles Lakers season was a pivotal year for the franchise, marking their eighth season in the National Basketball Association (NBA). At the time, the Lakers were based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and known as the Minneapolis Lakers. The team was coached by John Kundla, who was instrumental in their early successes, including multiple championships in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
During the regular season, the Lakers struggled to find their footing and ended with a disappointing record of 33 wins and 39 losses. This performance placed them third in the Western Division, reflecting a challenging year for the team. Despite the efforts of key players such as Clyde Lovellette and Slater Martin, the Lakers could not replicate their success from previous years.
The Lakers’ performance in the playoffs was brief, as they faced the St. Louis Hawks in the Western Division Semifinals. The series was short-lived, with the Lakers losing to the Hawks, thereby ending their campaign for the season. This marked a period of transition, as the team needed to reassess and re-strategize to regain their former dominance in the league.
Overall, the 1955-56 season was a turning point for the Lakers, highlighting the need for rebuilding and adaptation in a rapidly evolving NBA landscape. The lessons learned during this season would eventually contribute to the team’s future successes.
- Regular Season Record: 33-39
- Playoff Result: Division Semifinals: 1-2
Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats for 1955-56 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Clyde Lovellette | 72 | 21.5 | 4.6 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 19.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Vern Mikkelsen | 73 | 13.3 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 13.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Slater Martin | 73 | 13.3 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 18.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Whitey Skoog | 73 | 11.6 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 9.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dick Schnittker | 73 | 11.3 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 14.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| George Mikan | 38 | 10.6 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 12.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ed Kalafat | 73 | 7.9 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 11.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dick Garmaker | 69 | 5.7 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 10.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Chuck Mencel | 71 | 4.5 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 8.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Lew Hitch | 70 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Williams | 20 | 3.3 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Ron Feiereisel | 10 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
| Johnny Horan | 12 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Los Angeles Lakers in the 1956 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. St. Louis Hawks
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 1956 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 116-115 | |
| Mar 19, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 133-75 | |
| Mar 21, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 116-115 |
Los Angeles Lakers 1955-56 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1955-56 season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 05, 1955 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 101-89 | |
| Nov 06, 1955 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | W 96-95 | |
| Nov 09, 1955 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 117-106 | |
| Nov 10, 1955 | @ New York Knicks | L 112-105 | |
| Nov 11, 1955 | @ Boston Celtics | L 119-75 | |
| Nov 12, 1955 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 100-89 | |
| Nov 17, 1955 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 105-91 | |
| Nov 19, 1955 | @ Rochester Royals | W 91-90 | |
| Nov 20, 1955 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 104-96 | |
| Nov 24, 1955 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 107-99 | |
| Nov 26, 1955 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 104-95 | |
| Nov 27, 1955 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 99-94 | |
| Nov 30, 1955 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 99-97 | |
| Dec 01, 1955 | vs. New York Knicks | L 97-90 | |
| Dec 03, 1955 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 114-103 | |
| Dec 04, 1955 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 102-96 | |
| Dec 06, 1955 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 116-103 | |
| Dec 07, 1955 | @ Rochester Royals | L 92-79 | |
| Dec 10, 1955 | @ Boston Celtics | L 118-102 | |
| Dec 13, 1955 | @ New York Knicks | L 98-91 | |
| Dec 14, 1955 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | W 98-85 | |
| Dec 15, 1955 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 135-133 | |
| Dec 17, 1955 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 94-92 | |
| Dec 18, 1955 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 96-86 | |
| Dec 20, 1955 | @ Boston Celtics | L 111-104 | |
| Dec 25, 1955 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 115-112 | |
| Dec 28, 1955 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 111-90 | |
| Dec 29, 1955 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 74-71 | |
| Jan 01, 1956 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 85-80 | |
| Jan 02, 1956 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | W 95-89 | |
| Jan 04, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 94-76 | |
| Jan 07, 1956 | @ Rochester Royals | L 103-98 | |
| Jan 08, 1956 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 99-91 | |
| Jan 10, 1956 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 90-79 | |
| Jan 11, 1956 | @ Boston Celtics | W 114-110 | |
| Jan 14, 1956 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | L 117-94 | |
| Jan 15, 1956 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 104-99 | |
| Jan 17, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 97-86 | |
| Jan 18, 1956 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 105-94 | |
| Jan 19, 1956 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 122-100 | |
| Jan 20, 1956 | vs. New York Knicks | W 122-109 | |
| Jan 21, 1956 | @ New York Knicks | W 109-89 | |
| Jan 22, 1956 | vs. New York Knicks | W 100-95 | |
| Jan 25, 1956 | vs. New York Knicks | L 104-95 | |
| Jan 28, 1956 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 108-85 | |
| Jan 29, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 114-107 | |
| Jan 31, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 92-86 | |
| Feb 01, 1956 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 107-106 | |
| Feb 02, 1956 | @ Boston Celtics | L 102-101 | |
| Feb 05, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 121-109 | |
| Feb 08, 1956 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | L 106-82 | |
| Feb 11, 1956 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | W 117-102 | |
| Feb 12, 1956 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 82-78 | |
| Feb 14, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 110-79 | |
| Feb 15, 1956 | vs. New York Knicks | L 113-102 | |
| Feb 17, 1956 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 134-111 | |
| Feb 18, 1956 | @ Rochester Royals | W 119-99 | |
| Feb 19, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 100-93 | |
| Feb 22, 1956 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 93-90 | |
| Feb 26, 1956 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 95-90 | |
| Feb 29, 1956 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 98-94 | |
| Mar 01, 1956 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 102-100 | |
| Mar 02, 1956 | @ Boston Celtics | L 119-113 | |
| Mar 03, 1956 | @ Rochester Royals | L 94-90 | |
| Mar 04, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 113-84 | |
| Mar 07, 1956 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | L 98-95 | |
| Mar 08, 1956 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 100-82 | |
| Mar 09, 1956 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 103-102 | |
| Mar 10, 1956 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 105-97 | |
| Mar 11, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 126-98 | |
| Mar 13, 1956 | vs. New York Knicks | L 102-89 | |
| Mar 14, 1956 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | L 100-96 | |
| Mar 16, 1956 | @ St. Louis Hawks | W 103-97 |