The 1950-51 Los Angeles Lakers season marked the franchise’s third season in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and their first after relocating from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. The team, led by coach John Kundla, was coming off a successful 1949-50 season where they captured the NBA Championship. The Lakers played their home games at the Minneapolis Auditorium.
During the regular season, the Lakers continued to be a dominant force in the league. They finished with a 44-24 record, securing the top spot in the Western Division. The team was driven by the exceptional play of George Mikan, who was widely regarded as one of the best centers in basketball at the time. Mikan’s scoring ability and defensive presence were pivotal to the Lakers’ success.
In the playoffs, the Lakers faced a challenging path. They advanced past the first round but were eventually eliminated in the Western Division Finals by the Rochester Royals in a tightly contested series. The Lakers lost the series 3-1, preventing them from defending their championship title.
Despite the playoff exit, the 1950-51 season further established the Lakers as a powerhouse in the NBA. Their performance solidified their reputation and set the stage for future success, as they would continue to be a dominant team throughout the 1950s.
- Regular Season Record: 44-24
- Playoff Result: Division Semifinals: 2-1, Division Finals: 1-3
Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats for 1950-51 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| George Mikan | 68 | 28.4 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 24.0 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Vern Mikkelsen | 64 | 14.1 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 15.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jim Pollard | 54 | 11.6 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 13.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Slater Martin | 68 | 8.5 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 7.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Harrison | 68 | 5.9 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 7.7 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Arnie Ferrin | 68 | 5.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 5.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kevin O'Shea | 62 | 4.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 4 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tony Jaros | 61 | 4.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 2.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bud Grant | 59 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Joe Hutton | 59 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ed Beach | 11 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |||||||
Los Angeles Lakers in the 1951 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Minneapolis Lakers
In the 1951 NBA Playoffs, the Minneapolis Lakers, who would later become the Los Angeles Lakers, faced off against the Rochester Royals in the Western Division Finals. Despite having the legendary George Mikan, the Lakers were unable to secure victory, falling to the Royals in a hard-fought series that ended 3-1. This marked a rare postseason setback during an era dominated by the Lakers in early NBA history.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1951 | vs. Indianapolis Olympians | L 95-81 | |
| Mar 23, 1951 | @ Indianapolis Olympians | L 108-88 | |
| Mar 25, 1951 | vs. Indianapolis Olympians | L 85-80 |
1951 Conference Championship vs. Minneapolis Lakers
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 29, 1951 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 76-73 | |
| Mar 31, 1951 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 70-66 | |
| Apr 01, 1951 | @ Rochester Royals | L 83-70 | |
| Apr 03, 1951 | @ Rochester Royals | L 80-75 |
Los Angeles Lakers 1950-51 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1950-51 season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 01, 1950 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 81-71 | |
| Nov 04, 1950 | @ Washington Capitols | W 91-85 | |
| Nov 05, 1950 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 90-87 | |
| Nov 09, 1950 | @ Boston Celtics | L 76-71 | |
| Nov 12, 1950 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 83-70 | |
| Nov 15, 1950 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 72-71 | |
| Nov 16, 1950 | @ New York Knicks | L 71-69 | |
| Nov 18, 1950 | @ Rochester Royals | W 86-77 | |
| Nov 19, 1950 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 90-77 | |
| Nov 22, 1950 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 19-18 | |
| Nov 23, 1950 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 73-63 | |
| Nov 26, 1950 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 85-71 | |
| Nov 29, 1950 | vs. Tri-Cities Blackhawks | L 85-66 | |
| Dec 01, 1950 | @ Indianapolis Olympians | L 66-65 | |
| Dec 03, 1950 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 95-83 | |
| Dec 06, 1950 | vs. New York Knicks | L 84-62 | |
| Dec 09, 1950 | @ Tri-Cities Blackhawks | W 88-79 | |
| Dec 10, 1950 | vs. Tri-Cities Blackhawks | L 114-101 | |
| Dec 13, 1950 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 82-72 | |
| Dec 15, 1950 | @ Indianapolis Olympians | W 82-71 | |
| Dec 16, 1950 | @ Tri-Cities Blackhawks | W 86-71 | |
| Dec 17, 1950 | vs. Indianapolis Olympians | L 79-60 | |
| Dec 19, 1950 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 71-67 | |
| Dec 20, 1950 | @ Baltimore Bullets | L 91-84 | |
| Dec 23, 1950 | @ Boston Celtics | L 87-81 | |
| Dec 25, 1950 | vs. Washington Capitols | L 93-79 | |
| Dec 27, 1950 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 81-63 | |
| Dec 28, 1950 | @ Rochester Royals | L 75-67 | |
| Dec 31, 1950 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 83-73 | |
| Jan 01, 1951 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 83-70 | |
| Jan 03, 1951 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | L 86-64 | |
| Jan 04, 1951 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 80-77 | |
| Jan 05, 1951 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 69-54 | |
| Jan 07, 1951 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 69-57 | |
| Jan 10, 1951 | vs. New York Knicks | L 70-65 | |
| Jan 11, 1951 | @ Tri-Cities Blackhawks | W 113-109 | |
| Jan 14, 1951 | vs. Indianapolis Olympians | L 86-84 | |
| Jan 16, 1951 | @ Indianapolis Olympians | L 82-68 | |
| Jan 18, 1951 | @ New York Knicks | L 95-78 | |
| Jan 20, 1951 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | W 89-70 | |
| Jan 21, 1951 | vs. Tri-Cities Blackhawks | L 89-82 | |
| Jan 23, 1951 | @ Baltimore Bullets | W 89-79 | |
| Jan 25, 1951 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | W 90-71 | |
| Jan 28, 1951 | vs. Indianapolis Olympians | L 101-75 | |
| Jan 31, 1951 | vs. Tri-Cities Blackhawks | L 106-78 | |
| Feb 03, 1951 | @ Indianapolis Olympians | W 89-84 | |
| Feb 04, 1951 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 98-84 | |
| Feb 07, 1951 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 96-86 | |
| Feb 08, 1951 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 69-58 | |
| Feb 11, 1951 | vs. Indianapolis Olympians | L 91-78 | |
| Feb 14, 1951 | vs. Baltimore Bullets | L 99-71 | |
| Feb 16, 1951 | @ Indianapolis Olympians | W 76-71 | |
| Feb 17, 1951 | @ Rochester Royals | L 87-82 | |
| Feb 18, 1951 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 91-80 | |
| Feb 21, 1951 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 82-76 | |
| Feb 24, 1951 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | L 95-78 | |
| Feb 25, 1951 | vs. Indianapolis Olympians | W 75-73 | |
| Feb 27, 1951 | vs. Tri-Cities Blackhawks | L 83-77 | |
| Feb 28, 1951 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 77-73 | |
| Mar 01, 1951 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 97-77 | |
| Mar 04, 1951 | @ Boston Celtics | L 92-86 | |
| Mar 06, 1951 | @ Rochester Royals | L 90-79 | |
| Mar 08, 1951 | @ New York Knicks | L 97-94 | |
| Mar 10, 1951 | @ Tri-Cities Blackhawks | W 99-88 | |
| Mar 11, 1951 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 98-96 | |
| Mar 14, 1951 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 100-76 | |
| Mar 17, 1951 | @ Tri-Cities Blackhawks | W 92-91 | |
| Mar 18, 1951 | vs. New York Knicks | L 86-68 |