1959–60 Minneapolis Lakers season
The 1959–60 Minneapolis Lakers season was the 12th season for the franchise in the NBA and final season in Minneapolis. The Lakers finished in third-place in the NBA Western Division with a record of 25–50, 21 games behind the St. Louis Hawks. In their final season in the Twin Cities, the Lakers made the playoffs and defeated the Detroit Pistons two games to none in the Western Division semifinals, before losing the West Finals to the Hawks, four games to three. The Lakers roster had 5 1st overall picks, Elgin Baylor, Hot Rod Hundley, Chuck Share, Ray Felix, and Frank Selvy, the most among any NBA teams in a season.
| 1959–60 Minneapolis Lakers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | John Castellani Jim Pollard |
| Arena | Minneapolis Armory |
| Results | |
| Record | 25–50 (.333) |
| Place | Division: 3rd (Western) |
| Playoff finish | Division finals (lost to Hawks 3–4) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | KSTP-TV |
| Radio | WLOL |
On January 18, the team had a harrowing flight in a snowstorm, returning to Minneapolis from St. Louis. The team's DC-3 had electrical problems and made an emergency landing in a cornfield near Carroll, Iowa.
On April 27, 1960, The NBA approved the relocation of the Lakers to Southern California and they became the Los Angeles Lakers for the 1960–61 season.