This is a visual explainer based on the Wikipedia article on the 1958-59 Minneapolis Lakers season. Read the full source article here. (opens in new tab)

Lakers Legacy: The 1958-59 Season Chronicle

A deep dive into the Minneapolis Lakers' pivotal 1958-59 NBA campaign, from regular season challenges to their NBA Finals appearance, featuring roster details, game logs, and player achievements.

Season Overview 👇 Explore Roster 👥

Dive in with Flashcard Learning!


When you are ready...
🎮 Play the Wiki2Web Clarity Challenge Game🎮

Season Overview

Performance Metrics

The 1958-59 Minneapolis Lakers navigated a challenging season, concluding with a record of 33 wins and 39 losses, representing a .458 winning percentage. This performance placed them second in the competitive Western Division.

Championship Pursuit

Despite their regular season efforts, the Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals. However, their championship aspirations were cut short as they were swept by the formidable Boston Celtics in four games (0-4). This marked their penultimate season in Minneapolis before the franchise's relocation.

Key Personnel

Head Coach

Guiding the team through the season was Head Coach John Kundla. Kundla, a veteran coach, was instrumental in shaping the Lakers' strategy and player development during this era.

Home Venue

The Lakers played their home games at the historic Minneapolis Auditorium. This venue served as the team's primary arena, hosting their pivotal matchups throughout the season.

Draft Selections

1958 NBA Draft

In the 1958 NBA Draft, the Minneapolis Lakers selected Alvin Inniss. He was chosen in the 6th round as the 40th overall pick. Inniss played the Center position and hailed from St. Francis (NY).

Team Roster

Player Lineup

The roster for the 1958-59 Minneapolis Lakers featured a blend of established stars and emerging talent. Here are the key players who competed during that season:

Pos. No. Player Height Weight DOB From
SF 22 Elgin Baylor 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1934-09-16 Seattle
PF 12, 23 Boo Ellis 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1936-12-11 Niagra
SG 50 Ed Fleming 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 189 lb (86 kg) 1933-07-25 Niagra
C 14 Larry Foust 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 1928-06-24 La Salle
SG 16 Dick Garmaker 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1932-10-29 Minnesota
SF 30 Steve Hamilton 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1934-11-30 Morehead State
PG 33 Hot Rod Hundley 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1934-10-26 West Virginia
C 32 Jim Krebs 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1935-09-08 SMU
PG 21 Bobby Leonard 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1932-09-17 Indiana
PF 19 Vern Mikkelsen 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1928-10-21 Hamline

Regular Season Games

Game-by-Game Recap

The Lakers played a total of 72 regular season games. Their performance was marked by periods of inconsistency, ultimately leading to their 33-39 record. Below is a detailed log of each game, including the date, opponent, score, and leading scorer.

# Date Opponent Score High Points Record
1 Oct 22 Cincinnati 79–99 Elgin Baylor (25) 1–0
2 Oct 25 @ Cincinnati 94–110 Dick Garmaker (23) 1–1
3 Oct 26 Detroit 100–108 Vern Mikkelsen (22) 2–1
4 Oct 29 @ St. Louis 112–100 Baylor, Garmaker, Leonard (13) 2–2
5 Nov 1 @ St. Louis 108–101 Elgin Baylor (29) 3–2
6 Nov 6 Philadelphia 101–103 Elgin Baylor (26) 4–2
7 Nov 8 New York 108–100 Jim Krebs (18) 4–3
8 Nov 9 @ Syracuse 97–101 Elgin Baylor (34) 4–4
9 Nov 11 @ Boston 113–116 (OT) Elgin Baylor (36) 4–5
10 Nov 13 N Detroit 110–119 Elgin Baylor (28) 4–6
11 Nov 15 @ Philadelphia 101–106 Elgin Baylor (26) 4–7
12 Nov 16 @ New York 90–98 Elgin Baylor (18) 4–8
13 Nov 20 Syracuse 102–121 Elgin Baylor (37) 5–8
14 Nov 22 @ St. Louis 109–114 Elgin Baylor (30) 5–9
15 Nov 23 Detroit 124–109 Elgin Baylor (30) 5–10
16 Nov 24 N Boston 104–123 Baylor, Leonard (22) 5–11
17 Nov 25 @ Detroit 98–90 Elgin Baylor (19) 6–11
18 Nov 28 Cincinnati 93–114 Elgin Baylor (26) 7–11
19 Nov 29 @ Syracuse 108–105 Elgin Baylor (35) 8–11
20 Nov 30 @ Cincinnati 84–77 Elgin Baylor (21) 9–11
21 Dec 6 N Cincinnati 128–132 (3OT) Elgin Baylor (30) 9–12
22 Dec 9 @ New York 97–110 Elgin Baylor (23) 9–13
23 Dec 11 Syracuse 101–99 (OT) Elgin Baylor (31) 9–14
24 Dec 14 New York 100–99 Elgin Baylor (21) 9–15
25 Dec 18 Detroit 104–113 Elgin Baylor (26) 10–15
26 Dec 20 Philadelphia 88–99 Elgin Baylor (33) 11–15
27 Dec 25 N Detroit 97–98 (OT) Larry Foust (21) 11–16
28 Dec 26 N Boston 99–107 Vern Mikkelsen (20) 11–17
29 Dec 27 Boston 112–94 Vern Mikkelsen (16) 11–18
30 Dec 28 @ Cincinnati 116–120 Bobby Leonard (20) 11–19
31 Dec 29 N Philadelphia 95–93 Elgin Baylor (21) 11–20
32 Dec 30 N Syracuse 113–118 Dick Garmaker (27) 12–20
33 Jan 1 @ Syracuse 106–105 Elgin Baylor (22) 13–20
34 Jan 2 New York 97–107 Dick Garmaker (27) 14–20
35 Jan 4 @ Philadelphia 111–95 Elgin Baylor (28) 15–20
36 Jan 5 @ Boston 106–118 Elgin Baylor (30) 15–21
37 Jan 6 N St. Louis 112–95 Vern Mikkelsen (17) 15–22
38 Jan 7 N St. Louis 89–78 Elgin Baylor (21) 15–23
39 Jan 8 N St. Louis 93–95 Dick Garmaker (22) 16–23
40 Jan 11 N Boston 106–109 (OT) Dick Garmaker (20) 16–24
41 Jan 12 N Boston 108–117 Elgin Baylor (30) 16–25
42 Jan 13 @ St. Louis 95–110 Boo Ellis (18) 16–26
43 Jan 15 @ Syracuse 105–111 Elgin Baylor (19) 16–27
44 Jan 16 N Cincinnati 91–95 Larry Foust (23) 16–28
45 Jan 18 Philadelphia 98–119 Elgin Baylor (30) 17–28
46 Jan 25 @ Philadelphia 111–125 Elgin Baylor (41) 17–29
47 Jan 28 Syracuse 109–112 Elgin Baylor (38) 18–29
48 Jan 29 N Syracuse 117–91 Vern Mikkelsen (16) 18–30
49 Jan 30 N Detroit 88–86 Elgin Baylor (23) 19–30
50 Jan 31 N St. Louis 120–96 Elgin Baylor (16) 19–31
51 Feb 7 Philadelphia 97–109 Vern Mikkelsen (27) 20–31
52 Feb 8 @ Detroit 115–103 Elgin Baylor (27) 21–31
53 Feb 9 New York 122–128 Elgin Baylor (31) 22–31
54 Feb 10 N Cincinnati 118–100 Vern Mikkelsen (43) 23–31
55 Feb 11 N Cincinnati 106–105 Larry Foust (36) 24–31
56 Feb 12 N Cincinnati 114–119 Baylor, Fleming (28) 24–34
57 Feb 14 @ St. Louis 96–139 Elgin Baylor (26) 24–35
58 Feb 15 St. Louis 98–109 Elgin Baylor (26) 25–35
59 Feb 17 @ Detroit 97–90 Larry Foust (22) 26–35
60 Feb 18 Detroit 95–105 Elgin Baylor (29) 27–35
61 Feb 20 N New York 106–116 Baylor, Garmaker (20) 28–35
62 Feb 22 @ St. Louis 106–120 Dick Garmaker (27) 28–36
63 Feb 25 N Cincinnati 116–96 Elgin Baylor (55) 29–36
64 Feb 27 @ Boston 139–173 Elgin Baylor (28) 29–37
65 Feb 28 @ New York 107–112 Elgin Baylor (34) 29–38
66 Mar 1 N Philadelphia 98–100 Elgin Baylor (23) 30–38
67 Mar 3 N Boston 112–119 Elgin Baylor (24) 30–39
68 Mar 4 @ Cincinnati 122–128 Elgin Baylor (33) 30–40
69 Mar 5 N New York 115–135 Elgin Baylor (32) 31–40
70 Mar 6 @ Detroit 99–98 Larry Foust (23) 32–40
71 Mar 8 St. Louis 104–120 Elgin Baylor (36) 33–40
72 Mar 11 Detroit 123–118 Elgin Baylor (39) 33–41

Postseason Journey

Division Semifinals

The Lakers began their playoff run in the Division Semifinals against the Detroit Pistons. They secured the series victory with a 2-1 record, winning both home games and dropping one on the road.

Game Date Team Score High Points Location Series
1 Mar 14 Detroit W 92–89 Larry Foust (17) Minneapolis Auditorium 1–0
2 Mar 15 @ Detroit L 103–117 Elgin Baylor (26) Detroit Olympia 1–1
3 Mar 18 Detroit W 129–102 Elgin Baylor (30) Minneapolis Auditorium 2–1

Division Finals

Advancing to the Division Finals, the Lakers faced the St. Louis Hawks. In a hard-fought series, Minneapolis emerged victorious with a 4-2 series win, clinching the series on their home court.

Game Date Team Score High Points High Rebounds Location Series
1 Mar 21 @ St. Louis L 90–124 Elgin Baylor (21) — Kiel Auditorium 0–1
2 Mar 22 St. Louis W 106–98 Elgin Baylor (33) Elgin Baylor (15) Minneapolis Auditorium 1–1
3 Mar 24 @ St. Louis L 97–127 Baylor, Fleming (15) Elgin Baylor (8) Kiel Auditorium
9,324		 1–2
4 Mar 26 St. Louis W 108–98 Elgin Baylor (32) — Minneapolis Auditorium 2–2
5 Mar 28 @ St. Louis W 98–97 (OT) Elgin Baylor (36) — Kiel Auditorium 3–2
6 Mar 29 St. Louis W 106–104 Elgin Baylor (33) Boo Ellis (15) Minneapolis Auditorium
10,179		 4–2

NBA Finals

The Lakers' journey culminated in the NBA Finals against the dominant Boston Celtics. Unfortunately, the Celtics proved too strong, sweeping the series 4-0 and denying the Lakers the championship title.

Game Date Team Score High Points High Rebounds Location Series
1 Apr 4 @ Boston L 115–118 Elgin Baylor (34) Larry Foust (19) Boston Garden
8,195		 0–1
2 Apr 5 @ Boston L 108–128 Vern Mikkelsen (24) Steve Hamilton (13) Boston Garden
11,082		 0–2
3 Apr 7 Boston L 110–123 Larry Foust (26) Larry Foust (22) St. Paul Auditorium
11,272		 0–3
4 Apr 9 Boston L 113–118 Elgin Baylor (30) Elgin Baylor (14) Minneapolis Auditorium
8,124		 0–4

Individual Accolades

Standout Performances

The 1958-59 season was particularly notable for the individual achievements of its star players, highlighting their impact on the league.

  • Elgin Baylor was honored as the NBA Rookie of the Year, a testament to his immediate impact.
  • Baylor also earned a spot on the All-NBA First Team, recognizing him as one of the league's elite players.
  • Both Elgin Baylor and Dick Garmaker were selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game.
  • Veteran center Larry Foust also received an NBA All-Star Game selection.
  • Adding to his stellar season, Elgin Baylor was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player.

Teacher's Corner

Edit and Print this course in the Wiki2Web Teacher Studio

Edit and Print Materials from this study in the wiki2web studio
Click here to open the "1958 U201359 Minneapolis Lakers Season" Wiki2Web Studio curriculum kit

Use the free Wiki2web Studio to generate printable flashcards, worksheets, exams, and export your materials as a web page or an interactive game.

True or False?

Test Your Knowledge!

Gamer's Corner

Are you ready for the Wiki2Web Clarity Challenge?

Learn about 1958_u201359_minneapolis_lakers_season while playing the wiki2web Clarity Challenge game.
Unlock the mystery image and prove your knowledge by earning trophies. This simple game is addictively fun and is a great way to learn!

Play now

Explore More Topics

Discover other topics to study!

racial integration
    
jagiellonian dynasty
    
history of the jews in serbia
    
richmond spiders men's basketball
    
ogasawara national park
    
languages of italy
    
henry iv pirandello play
    
california democratic party
    
poliziotteschi
    
belford roxo rio de janeiro
    

References

References

  1.  1958-59 Minneapolis Lakers
A full list of references for this article are available at the 1958–59 Minneapolis Lakers season Wikipedia page

Feedback & Support

To report an issue with this page, or to find out ways to support the mission, please click here.

Disclaimer

Important Notice

This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.

This is not professional sports analysis or advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional consultation regarding sports history, statistics, or team analysis. Always refer to official league records and consult with sports historians or analysts for specific insights.

The creators of this page are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.