unnamed

In 1948, the Lakers moved from the National Basketball League to the Basketball Association of America (BAA). Under George Mikan, the Lakers won five league championships in six years, including the 1949 BAA championship and four NBA championships. champion. In 1949, the American Basketball Association (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL) merged to form the current National Basketball Association (NBA). In the mid to late 1950s, following the retirement of George Mikan, the team went into decline, the record continued to decline, and business became increasingly bleak. George Mikan is now known as the first superstar in NBA history.