Detroit Gems

The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history, predating the formation of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Founded in 1947, the Lakers are one of the NBA's most famous and successful franchises. As of summer 2012, the Lakers hold the all-time records for wins (3,125), winning percentage (.620), and NBA Finals appearances (31). They are second in NBA championships only to the Boston Celtics, winning 16 championships to the Celtics 17 NBA titles. Their rosters have included some of the game's greatest players, including George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Gail Goodrich, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Magic Johnson, Jamaal Wilkes, Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers' franchise began in 1947 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen of Minnesota purchased the recently disbanded Detroit Gems franchise of the National Basketball League (NBL) for $15,000 from Gems founder/owner C. King Boring, and business partner Maury Winston. They hired John Kundla as their first head coach.

Berger and Chalfen relocated the team to Minneapolis, with home games being played at both the Minneapolis Auditorium and the Minneapolis Armory. The "team" that Berger and Chalfen had actually purchased consisted only of equipment; since the team had appeared to be on the verge of folding, all of its players had already been assigned to other NBL teams. The franchise was re-christened the "Lakers" in reference to Minnesota's nickname, "The Land of 10,000 Lakes". Berger and Chalfen brought in Max Winter, later to become a founder and owner of the National Football League's Minnesota Vikings, to become the Lakers' new general manager. Winter also took an ownership stake in the team, which he would maintain until he left the Lakers in 1955.

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Wikipedia