The 1956-57 season marked the Los Angeles Lakers’ final campaign in Minneapolis before relocating to California. Under the guidance of head coach John Kundla, the Lakers competed in the Western Division of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team concluded the regular season with a 34-38 record, placing them third in their division. Despite a sub-.500 performance, they managed to secure a spot in the playoffs.
Throughout the regular season, the Lakers were spearheaded by standout center Clyde Lovellette, who played an instrumental role in both scoring and rebounding. Lovellette averaged 20.6 points per game, making him the team’s leading scorer. The Lakers also benefited from the contributions of Vern Mikkelsen and Slater Martin, both of whom provided valuable experience and leadership on the court.
In the postseason, the Lakers faced the St. Louis Hawks in the Western Division Semifinals. The series proved to be a challenging matchup for Minneapolis, as they were defeated in a decisive Game 3, losing the series 2-1. The Hawks would go on to advance to the NBA Finals, underscoring the competitive nature of the Lakers’ playoff exit. This season is a notable chapter in the franchise’s history, as it concluded their tenure in Minneapolis before their eventual move to Los Angeles, setting the stage for future success in a new market.
- Regular Season Record: 34-38
- Playoff Result: Division Semifinals: 2-0, Division Finals: 0-3
Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats for 1956-57 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Clyde Lovellette | 70 | 20.9 | 4.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 24.2 | 5.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dick Garmaker | 73 | 16.4 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 13.0 | 4.8 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Vern Mikkelsen | 73 | 13.7 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 17.6 | 5.4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Slick Leonard | 73 | 11.1 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 21.4 | 3.8 | 6.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Walter Dukes | 72 | 10.0 | 4.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 13.6 | 11.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Chuck Mencel | 73 | 9.2 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 5.0 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Ed Kalafat | 66 | 8.5 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 12.6 | 3.2 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Whitey Skoog | 24 | 8.5 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
| Jim Paxson | 72 | 6.3 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Dick Schnittker | 71 | 5.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 5.4 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Bob Williams | 5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | |
Los Angeles Lakers in the 1957 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs Second Round vs. Minneapolis Lakers
In the 1957 NBA Playoffs, the Minneapolis Lakers, who later became the Los Angeles Lakers, faced the St. Louis Hawks in the Western Division Finals. Despite the efforts of star center Clyde Lovellette, the Lakers were overpowered by the Hawks, losing the series 3-0. This defeat highlighted the challenges the Lakers faced during a transitional period before their eventual relocation to Los Angeles in 1960.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 17, 1957 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | L 131-127 | |
| Mar 19, 1957 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | W 110-108 |
1957 Conference Championship vs. St. Louis Hawks
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 21, 1957 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 118-109 | |
| Mar 24, 1957 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 106-104 | |
| Mar 25, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 143-135 |
Los Angeles Lakers 1956-57 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1956-57 season for the Los Angeles Lakers.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 27, 1956 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 97-75 | |
| Oct 28, 1956 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 94-88 | |
| Nov 01, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 97-88 | |
| Nov 03, 1956 | @ Rochester Royals | W 95-85 | |
| Nov 04, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 88-87 | |
| Nov 10, 1956 | @ Boston Celtics | L 117-110 | |
| Nov 11, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | W 94-82 | |
| Nov 14, 1956 | @ Boston Celtics | W 113-97 | |
| Nov 15, 1956 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 103-96 | |
| Nov 16, 1956 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 123-97 | |
| Nov 18, 1956 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 111-107 | |
| Nov 22, 1956 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 111-78 | |
| Nov 24, 1956 | @ St. Louis Hawks | W 104-102 | |
| Nov 25, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 95-94 | |
| Nov 27, 1956 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 113-98 | |
| Nov 28, 1956 | @ Boston Celtics | L 105-93 | |
| Dec 01, 1956 | @ Rochester Royals | L 95-83 | |
| Dec 02, 1956 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 106-96 | |
| Dec 04, 1956 | @ New York Knicks | L 101-88 | |
| Dec 06, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 103-96 | |
| Dec 07, 1956 | @ Boston Celtics | L 121-114 | |
| Dec 09, 1956 | vs. New York Knicks | W 100-91 | |
| Dec 11, 1956 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 114-111 | |
| Dec 12, 1956 | vs. New York Knicks | L 121-103 | |
| Dec 16, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 101-97 | |
| Dec 20, 1956 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 105-103 | |
| Dec 22, 1956 | @ Rochester Royals | L 115-101 | |
| Dec 23, 1956 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 107-97 | |
| Dec 25, 1956 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | W 100-89 | |
| Dec 27, 1956 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 120-93 | |
| Dec 29, 1956 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 95-92 | |
| Dec 30, 1956 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 100-93 | |
| Jan 03, 1957 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 104-102 | |
| Jan 06, 1957 | vs. New York Knicks | W 111-101 | |
| Jan 08, 1957 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 87-86 | |
| Jan 09, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | L 93-86 | |
| Jan 10, 1957 | @ Syracuse Nationals | W 118-110 | |
| Jan 12, 1957 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | W 105-87 | |
| Jan 13, 1957 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 104-87 | |
| Jan 17, 1957 | vs. New York Knicks | W 94-93 | |
| Jan 20, 1957 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 114-107 | |
| Jan 23, 1957 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 107-99 | |
| Jan 25, 1957 | @ Boston Celtics | L 115-106 | |
| Jan 26, 1957 | @ New York Knicks | L 122-107 | |
| Jan 27, 1957 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 94-93 | |
| Jan 28, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 112-96 | |
| Jan 29, 1957 | @ Boston Celtics | L 103-91 | |
| Jan 31, 1957 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | W 111-107 | |
| Feb 02, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 106-97 | |
| Feb 03, 1957 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 102-85 | |
| Feb 06, 1957 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 101-100 | |
| Feb 09, 1957 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | L 99-92 | |
| Feb 10, 1957 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | L 113-100 | |
| Feb 12, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 110-105 | |
| Feb 13, 1957 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 115-114 | |
| Feb 14, 1957 | vs. New York Knicks | L 99-97 | |
| Feb 15, 1957 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 105-104 | |
| Feb 16, 1957 | @ New York Knicks | L 120-112 | |
| Feb 17, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 118-115 | |
| Feb 20, 1957 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 111-103 | |
| Feb 23, 1957 | vs. Syracuse Nationals | W 103-101 | |
| Feb 24, 1957 | vs. Fort Wayne Pistons | L 123-115 | |
| Feb 25, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | W 110-94 | |
| Feb 26, 1957 | @ Syracuse Nationals | L 120-108 | |
| Feb 28, 1957 | @ Philadelphia Warriors | L 129-112 | |
| Mar 01, 1957 | vs. Rochester Royals | L 125-117 | |
| Mar 03, 1957 | vs. New York Knicks | L 119-108 | |
| Mar 07, 1957 | vs. Boston Celtics | L 109-104 | |
| Mar 08, 1957 | @ Fort Wayne Pistons | W 101-97 | |
| Mar 10, 1957 | vs. St. Louis Hawks | L 117-104 | |
| Mar 12, 1957 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 100-94 | |
| Mar 13, 1957 | vs. Philadelphia Warriors | L 114-97 | |
| Mar 16, 1957 | @ St. Louis Hawks | L 114-111 |