1948–49 BAA season

1948–49 BAA season
League	Basketball Association of America
Sport	Basketball
Number of games	60
Number of teams	12
Regular season
Top scorer	George Mikan (Minneapolis)
Playoffs
Eastern champions	Washington Capitols
Eastern runners-up	New York Knicks
Western champions	Minneapolis Lakers
Western runners-up	Rochester Royals
Finals
Champions	Minneapolis Lakers
Runners-up	Washington Capitols

The 1948–49 BAA season was the third and final season of the Basketball Association of America. (Later that year the BAA and National Basketball League merged to create the National Basketball Association or NBA.) The postseason tournament at its conclusion, the 1949 BAA Playoffs, ended with the Minneapolis Lakers winning the BAA Championship, beating the Washington Capitols 4 games to 2 in the BAA Finals.

The NBA recognizes the three BAA seasons as part of its own history, sometimes without comment, so BAA 1948–49 is sometimes considered the third NBA season.

Notable occurrences

Four National Basketball League teams (Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Minneapolis and Rochester) joined the BAA for the 1948–49 season.

Final standings

Eastern Division

#	Eastern Division
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	x-Washington Capitols	38	22	.633	–
2	x-New York Knicks	32	28	.533	6
3	x-Baltimore Bullets	29	31	.483	9
4	x-Philadelphia Warriors	28	32	.467	10
5	Boston Celtics	25	35	.417	13
6	Providence Steamrollers	12	48	.200	26

Western Division

#	Western Division
	Team	W	L	PCT	GB
1	x-Rochester Royals	45	15	.750	–
2	x-Minneapolis Lakers	44	16	.733	1
3	x-Chicago Stags	38	22	.633	7
4	x-St. Louis Bombers	29	31	.483	16
5	Fort Wayne Pistons	22	38	.367	23
6	Indianapolis Jets	18	42	.300	27

Statistics leaders

Category	Player	Team	Stat
Points	George Mikan	Minneapolis Lakers	1,698
Assists	Bob Davies	Rochester Royals	321
FG%	Arnie Risen	Rochester Royals	.423
FT%	Bob Feerick	Washington Capitols	.859

Note: Prior to the 1969–70 season, league leaders in points and assists were determined by totals rather than averages.

BAA awards

• All-BAA First Team:
  • G Max Zaslofsky, Chicago Stags
  • G/F Bob Davies, Rochester Royals
  • C George Mikan, Minneapolis Lakers
  • F Jim Pollard, Minneapolis Lakers
  • F Joe Fulks, Philadelphia Warriors

• All-BAA Second Team
  • C Arnie Risen, Rochester Royals
  • C Bob Feerick, Washington Capitols
  • F/C Bones McKinney, Washington Capitols
  • G Ken Sailors, Providence Steamrollers
  • G John Logan, St. Louis Bombers

External links

• NBA History at NBA.com
• 1948–49 BAA Season Summary at Basketball-Reference.com