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Bandwagoner’s Guide to the Minnesota Timberwolves: The Minneapolis Lakers

By Henry Zimmerman

MINNEAPOLIS - 1953: The World Champions of basketball Minneapolis Lakers pose for a team portrait (L-R): Head Coach John Kundla, Slater Martin, Frank Saul, Jim Holstein, Vern Mikkelsen, Lew Hitch, George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Bob Harrison, Whitey Skoog, Assisstant coach Dave McMillan. in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1953. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2002 (Photo by NBAP/ NBAE/ Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS - 1953: The World Champions of basketball Minneapolis Lakers pose for a team portrait (L-R): Head Coach John Kundla, Slater Martin, Frank Saul, Jim Holstein, Vern Mikkelsen, Lew Hitch, George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Bob Harrison, Whitey Skoog, Assisstant coach Dave McMillan. in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1953. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2002 (Photo by NBAP/ NBAE/ Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS – 1952: The World Champions of basketball Minneapolis Lakers pose for a team portrait (L-R): Slater Martin,Joe Hutton, Frank Saul, Bob Harrison, Jim Pollard, HowieSchultz, Vern Mikkelsen, Lew Hitch, George Mikan, Head Coach John Kundla, Absent: Whitey Skoog. in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1952. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2002 (Photo by NBAP/ NBAE/ Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS – 1952: The World Champions of basketball Minneapolis Lakers pose for a team portrait (L-R): Slater Martin,Joe Hutton, Frank Saul, Bob Harrison, Jim Pollard, HowieSchultz, Vern Mikkelsen, Lew Hitch, George Mikan, Head Coach John Kundla, Absent: Whitey Skoog. in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1952. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2002 (Photo by NBAP/ NBAE/ Getty Images) /

After George Mikan

At this point in his career, Mikan was done for. He retired shortly after and the Minneapolis Timberwolves struggled in the playoffs during the following years.

Mikan was regarded as a legend of the game even then. At the time of his retirement in 1956, his 10,156 points was an NBA record; he was the first NBA player to ever record 10,000 points.

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He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 1959.

After Mikan, the team wasn’t in the best shape. They did set the stage to be successful in a matter of years, however. They drafted Elgin Baylor in the 1958 NBA Draft, who would later become NBA Rookie of the year and a future Hall of Fame player.

However, he wasn’t enough to bail the flailing Lakers out of their rut. The team had another good season, but were swept by the Boston Celtics in the 1959 NBA Finals, the start of a decades long rivalry with the Eastern Conference franchise.

The Lakers needed more help, and they got it the way they had Mikan: the NBA Draft. Once again, the Minneapolis Lakers organization drafted another legend in Jerry “The Logo” West.

He would never play in a Minneapolis jersey however, thanks to the decision of then owner Bob Short to move them to Los Angeles. Elgin Baylor and Jerry West set the stage for the Los Angeles Lakers to show the world that the Lakers would be a threat no matter where they played.

(Original Caption) December 22, 1971 – Baltimore: Jerry West drives up the middle and scores in 1st period of Laker 127-120 win over Bullets. West scored 37 points in game that was 27th consecutive win for the Lakers. The Laker victory set an all time consecutive win record for all of pro sports, the 1916 N.Y. baseball Giants had held the old record of 26 consecutive wins. Wilt Chamberlain (
(Original Caption) December 22, 1971 – Baltimore: Jerry West drives up the middle and scores in 1st period of Laker 127-120 win over Bullets. West scored 37 points in game that was 27th consecutive win for the Lakers. The Laker victory set an all time consecutive win record for all of pro sports, the 1916 N.Y. baseball Giants had held the old record of 26 consecutive wins. Wilt Chamberlain ( /

And so ends the story of the Minneapolis Lakers. It would be forty years before Minnesota had a major basketball team to call their own. Enter the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Next: 2017-18 season outlook: The pessimist, optimist and realist

But that’s a story for next time; the subsequent chapter in The Bandwagoner’s Guide to the Minnesota Timberwolves, only here on Dunking With Wolves.

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