World Professional Basketball Tournament (WPBT)
1947-48 WPBT Tournament Overview

Leagues Basketball WPBT 1948 Tournament Overview

A proposed series between the NBL and BAA champions never materialized. Instead, five of the NBL teams entered the World Pro Tournament in Chicago. The title game featured a titanic battle between New York Rens’ center Sweetwater Clifton and Minneapolis Lakers’ star George Mikan. Clifton was a savvy, powerful player, who excelled at rebounding and defense, but the 6’10” Mikan overwhelmed him with forty points to lead the Lakers to a 75-71 victory. It was a fitting conclusion in what turned out to be the final year of the famed Chicago tournament. The Rens had won the initial championship in 1939 to cement their reputation as the preeminent team of the era. The Lakers were now clearly ready to dominant professional basketball for many years to come.

Other basketball leagues in 1948:
BAA · PBLA · NBL

1948 Minneapolis Lakers

1948 WPBT Season
Minneapolis Lakers

8 teams competed during the regular season

Minneapolis Lakers defeated New York Rens for the championship

League Note
The tournament disbanded in 1949, after the BAA and NBL merged to form the NBA.

Recap

1948 WPBT Season Minneapolis Lakers

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1948 WPBT Season
Minneapolis Lakers