1952-53 Season The Lakers won an NBA title this season

Record: 48-22, first place in Western Division

The Lakers won the division by four games over archrival Rochester. George Mikan finished second in the league in scoring at 20.6 points per game and first in rebounding at 14.4 per game. Teammate Vern Mikkelsen finished eighth in scoring with 15.0 points per game.


Playoffs: The Lakers swept Indianapolis and Fort Wayne in the preliminary rounds to set up a rematch with the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. The Finals opened in Minneapolis, and the Knicks stunned the Lakers with an eight-point win in Game 1. Minneapolis barely beat the Knicks in Game 2, and with the next three games taking place at Madison Square Garden, things looked bleak for the Lakers. But the Lakers stormed back to win all three in New York and become the NBA's first repeat champs.

Playoff Results


Western Division Semifinals


  • at Lakers 85, Indianapolis 69

  • Lakers 81, at Indianapolis 79



Western Division Finals


  • at Lakers 83, Fort Wayne 73

  • at Lakers 82, Fort Wayne 75

  • at Fort Wayne 98, Lakers 95

  • at Fort Wayne 85, Lakers 82

  • at Lakers 74, Fort Wayne 58




NBA Finals


  • New York 96, at Lakers 88

  • at Lakers 73, New York 71

  • Lakers 90, at New York 75

  • Lakers 71, at New York 69

  • Lakers 91, at New York 84