1949
Minneapolis Lakers
Series Flow
0
Wins
0
Losses
Regular Season
44–16
Win–Loss
Playoff Record
8–2
Win–Loss
Finals
0–0
vs Washington Capitols
Finals MVP
Mikan
George
Minneapolis Lakers
44–16Washington Capitols
38–22The Capitols were coached by a young Red Auerbach — who would go on to build the Boston Celtics dynasty — and were one of the BAA's elite teams. They pushed the Lakers to six games before Mikan's dominance proved insurmountable.
Finals MVP
George Mikan
#99 · Center
30.3
PPG
11.0
RPG
The most dominant player of his era. At 6'10" with an unstoppable hook shot, Mikan averaged over 30 PPG in the BAA Finals and was the central reason a rule change (widening the lane) came years later.
Won his first championship in what was the final BAA Finals before the league merged to form the NBA
Led all scorers — the first of five championships in six years for the Minneapolis Lakers dynasty
How the Series Unfolded
They Pushed Us to the Limit
The Capitols were coached by a young Red Auerbach — who would go on to build the Boston Celtics dynasty — and were one of the BAA's elite teams. They pushed the Lakers to six games before Mikan's dominance proved insurmountable.
History Written in 1949
Minneapolis Lakers
First championship of the franchise — won the final BAA title before the merger formed the NBA
George Mikan
Averaged 30+ PPG in the Finals — establishing the standard of excellence for the first great center in professional basketball
John Kundla
First championship as head coach — began a dynasty that would win 5 titles in 6 years
Washington Capitols
Coached by a 32-year-old Red Auerbach — who would go on to build the most successful dynasty in NBA history with the Celtics
Beyond the Box Score
The 1948-49 season was the third and final year of the Basketball Association of America as a standalone league. The following summer, the BAA absorbed the National Basketball League — and the combined entity became the National Basketball Association. The 1949 championship was therefore the last BAA title in history.
George Mikan was already so dominant that rules had been changed to slow him down — to no avail. At 6'10" and 245 pounds, he combined size, skill, and physicality that the sport had never seen. The Lakers' championship was as inevitable as the league's expansion.
In a fascinating footnote, the Washington Capitols were coached by Red Auerbach — who would go on to build the Boston Celtics dynasty that would eventually become the Lakers' greatest rival and equal in championships.
The Full Story
Before the Los Angeles Lakers, before Showtime, before Shaq and Kobe and LeBron — there were the Minneapolis Lakers. And their championship story begins in 1949, when George Mikan and John Kundla's team won the final BAA title in league history.
Mikan averaged over 30 points per game against the Washington Capitols — at a time when the entire concept of a 6'10" center with two hands, footwork, and a hook shot was something the sport had never encountered. He was the first true superstar of professional basketball.
This championship began a dynasty that would win five titles in six years, establishing a championship culture that would define the franchise across two cities, multiple generations, and 17 championships total — more than any team in NBA history.