Article: Pro Champions Defeat the Great Kentuckians

Pro Champions Defeat the Great Kentuckians

Lakers score a record 121 points to Olympians' 95

Published in Life Magazine December 5, 1949 , pp. 150-153.

UNDER THE BASKET in picture taken behind glass backboard, Minneapolis forward Jim Pollard (light uniform) leaps high to get the ball from Wallace ("Wah Wah") Jones, Olympian forward. A sometimes Stanford star, Pollard has been pro All-American for two years. Jones was one of Kentuckians who represented U.S. on 1948 Olympic team

On the night of Nov. 20 in Minneapolis, two professional team, the Minneapolis Lakers and the Indianapolis Olympians, plyaed 48 minutws of rousing basketball before a crowd of 7,762 persons. In that time 216 points were scored or 4.5 points a minute. This incrdible pace produced a record for major league competition as the Lakers won, 121 to 95, and it provided a clue to the relative merits of professional and collegiate basketball. The Lakers were professional champions in 1948-49. The Olympians are a new outfit built around last season's great University of Kentucky team. The game proved one other thing: that a good huge man can beat a good big man in basketball. The good huge man was 6-foot-10 inch George Mikan, the Minneapolis center, who scored 29 points. The good big man was Alex Groza, the 6-foot 7-inch Olympian pivot man and pro basketball's leading scorere, who got only 21 points against Giant George.

Huge George Mikan reaches for a pass over big Alex Groza's shoulder IN REBOUND RIOT Olympians' Ralph Beard attempts to steal the ball from Vern Mikkelsen (19), a 1949 collegiate All-American who is now Lakers' second-string center.

MIKAN SHOOTS after eluding Groza (No. 15), who guards him on defense. The big Minneapolis center led pro scorers last year, has been called the best player in basketball. GROZA SHOOTS as Mikan arrives too late to block the shot. Although Mikan slowed him down, Groza has been having big year and recently scored 43 points in a single game.

FEROCITY OF PLAY in record game is shown above as Lakers' Bob Harrison (left) makes running jump in effort to block Olympian Bob Evans' lay-up shot. Although Harrison appears to be touching only the ball, foul was called.

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Huge George Mikan reaches for a pass over big Alex Groza's shoulder	IN REBOUND RIOT Olympians' Ralph Beard attempts to steal the ball from Vern Mikkelsen (19), a 1949 collegiate All-American who is now Lakers' second-string center.


MIKAN SHOOTS after eluding Groza (No. 15), who guards him on defense. The big Minneapolis center led pro scorers last year, has been called the best player in basketball.	GROZA SHOOTS as Mikan arrives too late to block the shot. Although Mikan slowed him down, Groza has been having big year and recently scored 43 points in a single game.