Amanda Knapp
MPLS stands for Minneapolis, which is where the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team was founded. The Lakers were established in 1947 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen purchased and relocated the Detroit Gems to Minnesota. The team was renamed the Minneapolis Lakers in honour of the state's nickname, 'the land of 10,000 lakes'. The original logo featured a map of Minnesota, with the word 'MPLS' and a star representing Minneapolis.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Full Form | Minneapolis Lakers |
| Logo | A yellow basketball outlined in blue, and studded with blue texture, forms the center of the logo. A white-space state of Minnesota was also outlined in blue in the center of the ball. A yellow star marked Minneapolis’ location on the map. The city was also labeled in a sans-serif typeface that arched over the star. The team name was displayed as a blue-and-yellow wordmark above and below this design. Minneapolis was abbreviated to “MPLS.” It was surrounded by stars above the basketball. |
| History | The Lakers were founded in 1947 when the Detroit Gems team was purchased by new owners. The team was renamed the Minneapolis Lakers after its new home, Minnesota, which famously features many lakes. The Lakers played in Minnesota in the 1940s and 1950s and had many successful seasons in Minneapolis, including winning multiple championships. In 1960, the Lakers departed Minnesota and relocated to Los Angeles, California. |
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What You'll Learn
MPLS Lakers logo history
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most well-known basketball teams in the United States, with a long history of success in the NBA. The team was established in 1947 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was initially known as the Minneapolis Lakers. The first logo of the Lakers was designed when the team was based in Minneapolis and featured a map of Minnesota in white on a brown and black outline basketball. The location of Minneapolis was highlighted by a yellow star. The wordmark "MPLS" in yellow was accompanied by two stars, and "LAKERS" was written below in yellow. This logo was used when the team played in the NBL from 1947 to 1949, before they joined the NBA.
In the 1950s, the logo underwent a slight design change, adding a lake wave to incorporate local pride. During their final years in Minneapolis, the uniforms were tweaked, removing the gold trim and featuring four stars surrounding the front of the jersey. The team's name was also changed from "MPLS" to "Los Angeles" when they relocated to Los Angeles in 1960/61, and the logo underwent a complete transformation. The basketball in the logo turned deep green, and the club name was moved to the centre, with "LOS ANGELES LAKERS" written in purple text.
The logo continued to evolve, and from 1967 to 1976, it featured a green image of a basketball with italicized purple inscription. In 1976/77, the logo was modified to make the design clearer, with a black outline and slight hue adjustments. The gold colour of the basketball was changed to a lighter yellow, and the red purple was replaced with a light purple lilac. The wordmark "Los Angeles Lakers" in dark purple was placed on a gold basketball, with a black outline to make the emblem stand out.
The current logo of the Los Angeles Lakers features a basketball with prominent traced seams and the team name, "Los Angeles Lakers," printed in dark purple over it. The logo also incorporates the team's colours of purple, gold, and white, with a touch of black for visual harmony. The Lakers logo has undergone several alterations over the years, reflecting the team's history and evolution from the Minneapolis Lakers to the iconic Los Angeles Lakers brand we know today.
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Minneapolis Lakers Youth Basketball
The Minneapolis Lakers Youth Basketball program is a non-profit organization that provides travelling basketball programs for boys and girls in grades 3 to 8 who live in or attend school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The program is sanctioned by the MYAS and has the goal of aiding in the development of youth basketball skills, promoting teamwork and sportsmanship, and providing a fun environment for playing the game.
The Mpls Lakers community promotes and supports the positive impact that basketball can have on the youth in the neighborhood. It is governed by a volunteer board and supported by 43 volunteer coaches and 34 volunteer administrators. The program also offers needs-based scholarships for those who may not be able to afford to participate. If parents are facing financial difficulties, they can fill out a form that will be confidentially submitted to the treasurer. If awarded a scholarship, they will be notified after the tryout process.
The Mpls Lakers Youth Traveling Basketball Program Inc. is a member of Trusted Coaches, an online training and educational program. This provides youth coaches with concussion instruction, a nationwide criminal background check, and certification in the Positive Coaching Alliance Double-Goal Coach® course. Coaches are issued a Trusted Coach Membership Card and are placed on the Trusted Coaches National Registry upon completion of the course.
The program also offers the MPLS Lakers Bootcamp to help players fine-tune their skills prior to tryouts. Youth Nights are another feature, where families and players can attend local high school basketball games and watch former Mpls Lakers players compete.
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Lakers' Minnesota history
The Los Angeles Lakers have a long history with Minnesota. The Lakers were founded in 1946 as the Detroit Gems, playing in the National Basketball League (NBL) during the 1946-47 season. After that season, the team was sold to Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen of Minnesota for $15,000, and the franchise relocated to Minneapolis, Minnesota. The team was renamed the Minneapolis Lakers, inspired by Minnesota's nickname as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes."
In their first season in Minneapolis, the Lakers played their home games at both the Minneapolis Auditorium and the Minneapolis Armory. The Lakers won the 1948 NBL championship and then joined the rival Basketball Association of America (BAA), where they won the 1949 BAA championship. The Lakers were very successful in their early years in Minneapolis, going on a 30-game home winning streak at one point.
The Lakers remained in Minneapolis for 13 years, until 1960, when the team's owner decided to move the franchise to Los Angeles, attracted by the success of the Brooklyn Dodgers after their move to the West Coast. The Lakers became the NBA's first West Coast team.
The Lakers have had several notable games and series against teams based in Minnesota. They defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals on their way to an NBA championship. In 2024, the Lakers made NBA history when LeBron James and his son Bronny James played together for the first time, beating the Timberwolves in their season-opening game. The Lakers have also faced off against the Minnesota-based teams the St. Paul Lights and the Minnesota Pipers in the past.
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Lakers' rebrand after moving to LA
The Lakers are one of the most well-known basketball teams in the United States, having won 16 NBA Championships. The team was founded in 1947 when the Detroit Gems were purchased by new owners. The Gems were rebuilt and moved to Minnesota, where they were renamed the Minneapolis Lakers, reflecting their new home in the land of lakes.
In 1960, the Lakers relocated from Minnesota to Los Angeles, California, and opted to rebrand, as most teams do when they move. They preserved the word "Lakers" but replaced "Minnesota" with "Los Angeles" in their name, becoming the Los Angeles Lakers. The team also introduced a new logo, shifting the colours entirely to blue. The round design featured a stylized, light-blue basketball surrounded by a wide white circle and a deep blue outline, with the team name displayed horizontally over the centre of the basketball in an italicized sans-serif font. The new logo incorporated mid-century design elements, giving the team a modern look at the time. The forward-leaning typeface conveyed a sense of movement and speed, while the inclusion of "Los Angeles" above the team name emphasized their new location.
The Lakers' logo underwent further changes in the following years. In the 1976/77 season, the club made minor adjustments, changing the text to light purple lilac and the basketball's green colour to yellow. They also reversed the seams of the basketball and added a darker edge to make the design more distinct. The logo was redesigned once more in 1976/77, with the ball outlined in black to enhance visibility and the colours tweaked to a golden yellow and light purple lavender.
The Lakers' decision to retain the word "Lakers" in their name even after moving away from Minnesota was not unusual at the time. Other teams, such as the Rams and the Dodgers, had kept their original names despite relocating to different cities. The name "Lakers" had value and a dynasty, and it aligned with Los Angeles' other professional sports teams at the time.
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Lakers' history in the NBA
MPLS stands for Minneapolis Lakers, a non-profit organization that provides travelling basketball programs for boys and girls in the third to eighth grades in Minneapolis.
Lakers History in the NBA
The Lakers are one of the most successful franchises in the history of the NBA with 17 championships, second only to the Boston Celtics. The team began in 1946 as the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League (NBL). After one season, new ownership relocated the team to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and renamed them the Minneapolis Lakers. In 1948, the Lakers won the NBL championship and then joined the rival Basketball Association of America (BAA), winning the 1949 BAA championship. That same year, the BAA and NBL merged to form the NBA. The Lakers improved their record to 51-17 and won their third straight professional championship.
The Lakers dominated the early years of the NBA, winning five championships in the 1950s. However, following the retirement of star player George Mikan in 1954, the team struggled and had one of their worst seasons in 1957-58, winning only 19 games. They earned the top pick in the 1958 NBA draft and selected Elgin Baylor. The Lakers then won the NBA championship in 1972.
The Lakers returned to dominance in the early 2000s, led by superstar duo Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, along with Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson. They won three consecutive championships between 2000 and 2002, securing the franchise's second "three-peat". After O'Neal was traded away, Bryant and Jackson returned to the NBA Finals in 2008 with new teammate Pau Gasol, but they lost to the Celtics. The Lakers won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010, marking their 16th title. Jackson retired in 2011, and the team endured their longest playoff drought in franchise history.
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Frequently asked questions
MPLS stands for Minneapolis, which is where the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team was founded.
The Lakers changed their logo twice in the 1960s, after relocating from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Los Angeles, California. The new logo removed references to Minneapolis and introduced mid-century design elements to give the team a modern look.
The current logo features a basketball with prominent traced seams, with the words “Los Angeles Lakers" printed over it in purple. The logo has a black outline, making the symbol stand out.
The Lakers basketball team was founded in 1947 when Ben Berger and Morris Chalfen purchased the Detroit Gems and relocated the team to Minnesota. The team was renamed the Minneapolis Lakers, in honour of the state's nickname: the "Land of 10,000 Lakes".
