1950 NBA Finals
TeamCoachWins
Minneapolis Lakers John Kundla 4
Syracuse Nationals Al Cervi 2
DatesApril 8−23
Hall of FamersLakers:
George Mikan (1959)
Jim Pollard (1978)
Vern Mikkelsen (1995)
Slater Martin (1982)
Nationals:
Dolph Schayes (1973)
Alex Hannum (1998, coach)
Al Cervi (1985)
Coaches:
John Kundla (1995)
Al Cervi (1985, player)
Officials:
Pat Kennedy (1959)
John Nucatola (1978)
Eastern FinalsNationals defeated Knicks, 2–1
Western FinalsNot the Western final (see text). Central finalist Lakers defeated Western finalist Packers, 2–0

The 1950 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s inaugural 1949–50 season. The Central Division champion Minneapolis Lakers faced the Eastern Division champion Syracuse Nationals in a best-of-seven series with Syracuse having home-court advantage.

The NBA recognizes three preceding Basketball Association of America (BAA) seasons as part of its own history, and thus presents the 1950 Finals as its fourth championship series.[1] Minneapolis had won the 1949 BAA Finals and its 1950 win over Syracuse is officially the Lakers second of five titles in Minneapolis.

In the event, six games were played in 16 days, beginning Saturday and Sunday, April 8 and 9, in Syracuse and incorporating two subsequent Sunday games in Minneapolis. Counting a Central Division tiebreaker played on Monday, March 20, the entire postseason tournament spanned five full weeks to Sunday, April 23.[2]

The NBA was arranged in three divisions (for its first season only) and the first two rounds of the 1950 NBA Playoffs generated three Division champions. With the league's best regular season record, Syracuse had earned a place in the Finals by winning the Eastern Division title on the preceding Sunday, and had been five days idle while the Central and Western champions had played a best-of-three series mid-week.[2]

In Game 1, The Lakers won on a buzzer beating shot by sub Bob "Tiger" Harrison, the first known case of a buzzer beater in the Finals. Six-foot-eight-inch (2.03 m) Dolph Schayes of Syracuse led his team out to the finals after a 16.8 ppg average during the regular season. George Mikan, however, averaged 27.4 ppg and led the league. Mikan would lead the Lakers past Syracuse in six games.

Series summary

GameDateHome teamResultRoad team
Game 1April 8Syracuse Nationals66−68 (0−1)Minneapolis Lakers
Game 2April 9Syracuse Nationals91−85 (1−1)Minneapolis Lakers
Game 3April 14Minneapolis Lakers91−77 (2−1)Syracuse Nationals
Game 4April 16Minneapolis Lakers77−69 (3−1)Syracuse Nationals
Game 5April 20Syracuse Nationals83−76 (2−3)Minneapolis Lakers
Game 6April 23Minneapolis Lakers110−95 (4−2)Syracuse Nationals

Lakers win series 4−2

Rosters

1949-50 Minneapolis Lakers roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
G/F 15 Carlson, Don 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1919–03–22 Minnesota
G/F 18 Ferrin, Arnie 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1925-07-29 Utah
F 20 Grant, Bud 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 1927–05–20 Minnesota
G 16 Harrison, Bob 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1927–08–12 Michigan
G 11 Hassett, William 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1921-10-21 Notre Dame
G/F 13 Jaros, Anthony 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1920–02–22 Minnesota
G 22 Martin, Slater 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1925–10–22 Texas
C 99 Mikan, George 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 1924–06–18 DePaul
F 19 Mikkelsen, Arild 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 230 lb (104 kg) 1928–10–21 Hamline
F 17 Pollard, James 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1922–07–09 Stanford
G/F 10 Schaefer, Herman 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1918–11–20 Indiana
Head coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: {{{access-date}}}

1949-50 Syracuse Nationals roster
Players Coaches
Pos.No.NameHeightWeightDOBFrom
G 15 Cervi, Alfred 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1917–02–12 East HS (NY)
F 11 Chollet, Leroy 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1925–03–05 Canisius
G 9 Corley, Raymond 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1928–01–14 Georgetown
G 7 Gabor, William 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 1922–05–13 Syracuse
F 10 Hannum, Alexander 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1923–07–19 USC
G 14 Levane, Andrew 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1920–04–11 St. John's
G/F 5 Macknowski, John 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1923–01–07 Seton Hall
C 13 Peterson, Edward 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1924–06–27 Cornell
F 6 Ratkovicz, George 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1922-11-13 Lindblom Academy (IL)
F/C 4 Schayes, Adolph 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 1928–05–19 NYU
G 8 Seymour, Paul 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1928-01-30 Toledo
Head coach
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: {{{access-date}}}

References

  1. ↑ "NBA Season Recaps: 1946-2019". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures, LLC. July 24, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "1949–50 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
      Select "Previous Season" from the heading for 1948–49 BAA, and so on. Select "Finals" from League Playoffs for the daily schedule of the final series, and so on.
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