Is it fair the Lakers can count the Minnesota titles as their achievements?

[CelticsElite]

It looks like they’re about to win “banner 17” and tie the Celtics


Is it fair that the Los Angeles Lakers count 5 titles the team technically won in Minnesota?

Always felt the city is very important to the achievement of winning a championship.  From the fans, to the arena, to the regional draft picks, to swaying free agents, the city adds many important elements to a team that should not be discounted.  OKC Thunder shouldn’t really brag about any achievements the Seattle SuperSonics made, even though it’s the same team technically.... right ?


My opinion is that LA found an opportunity to pad their team history and claim another cities achievements as their own

[SparzWizard]

Funny, Lakers fans in the past never wanted any part of the Minnesota titles in their conversations, until they started winning titles within the past 20 years.

But the Lakers will always discredit the Celtics, for winning those 10 championships when there were only like 8 teams in the NBA during the Bill Russell/Hondo era.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

No, it is most definitely not fair that they Lakers get to claim the 5 Minny titles. Should OKC fans be able to go around saying "their team" won the title in 1979 (the Sonics)? No, they shouldn't.

But the Lakers will always discredit the Celtics, for winning those 10 championships when there were only like 8 teams in the NBA during the Bill Russell/Hondo era.

Yeah, I have a Lakers friend who says this, and my reply to him is, "If it was so easy, why didn't the Lakers win any titles during that period?" Six of Boston's titles during that period came against the L.A. Lakers (and one against the Minneapolis Lakers).

[SparzWizard]

No, it is most definitely not fair that they Lakers get to claim the 5 Minny titles. Should OKC fans be able to go around saying "their team" won the title in 1979 (the Sonics)? No, they shouldn't.

But the Lakers will always discredit the Celtics, for winning those 10 championships when there were only like 8 teams in the NBA during the Bill Russell/Hondo era.

Yeah, I have a Lakers friend who says this, and my reply to him is, "If it was so easy, why didn't the Lakers win any titles during that period?" Six of Boston's titles during that period came against the L.A. Lakers (and one against the Minneapolis Lakers).

I bet you your friend was like "that's because the Celtics were overpowered back then with Bill Russell, Havlicek, Heinsohn, Cousy"

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

No, it is most definitely not fair that they Lakers get to claim the 5 Minny titles. Should OKC fans be able to go around saying "their team" won the title in 1979 (the Sonics)? No, they shouldn't.

But the Lakers will always discredit the Celtics, for winning those 10 championships when there were only like 8 teams in the NBA during the Bill Russell/Hondo era.

Yeah, I have a Lakers friend who says this, and my reply to him is, "If it was so easy, why didn't the Lakers win any titles during that period?" Six of Boston's titles during that period came against the L.A. Lakers (and one against the Minneapolis Lakers).

I bet you your friend was like "that's because the Celtics were overpowered back then with Bill Russell, Havlicek, Heinsohn, Cousy"

LOL, yeah, pretty much! The Celtics built a better team, for sure, small league or not.

[gouki88]

As long as they refuse to acknowledge the things Mikan and Mikkelsen did for their team with jersey retirements then they don't get to count the titles as their own. Simple

[Somebody]

No, it is most definitely not fair that they Lakers get to claim the 5 Minny titles. Should OKC fans be able to go around saying "their team" won the title in 1979 (the Sonics)? No, they shouldn't.

But the Lakers will always discredit the Celtics, for winning those 10 championships when there were only like 8 teams in the NBA during the Bill Russell/Hondo era.

Yeah, I have a Lakers friend who says this, and my reply to him is, "If it was so easy, why didn't the Lakers win any titles during that period?" Six of Boston's titles during that period came against the L.A. Lakers (and one against the Minneapolis Lakers).

I bet you your friend was like "that's because the Celtics were overpowered back then with Bill Russell, Havlicek, Heinsohn, Cousy"

Aaaaand the Lakers were even more stacked with West, Baylor, Goodrich, Wilt and co

[Somebody]

As long as they refuse to acknowledge the things Mikan and Mikkelsen did for their team with jersey retirements then they don't get to count the titles as their own. Simple

^this. Their owner also left the trophies in Minnesota when they made the move

[gouki88]

As long as they refuse to acknowledge the things Mikan and Mikkelsen did for their team with jersey retirements then they don't get to count the titles as their own. Simple

^this. Their owner also left the trophies in Minnesota when they made the move

Yeah, they seemed to hold the Minny Lakers in contempt. I feel that OKC has as much claim to Seattle's lone ring

[Roy H.]

Same ownership, same management, same players?  Then yes, it’s the same franchise, and accordingly, those titles belong to that franchise.  The city of LA doesn’t own those titles, but the Lakers franchise does.

My opinion only, but I feel like Boston fans seem incredibly insecure when they try to take away the Lakers titles from Minneapolis.

[NKY fan]

Let them have it. It’s the same franchise.
It’s a much bigger concern how content some fans and management are with making record number of draft picks over winning titles and keeping the lead in title counts.
Seems more and more painfully obvious that trading and signing top 15-25 players plus many draft picks is a recipe for ECF exit not a title.

[JohnBoy65]

Same ownership, same management, same players?  Then yes, it’s the same franchise, and accordingly, those titles belong to that franchise.  The city of LA doesn’t own those titles, but the Lakers franchise does.

My opinion only, but I feel like Boston fans seem incredibly insecure when they try to take away the Lakers titles from Minneapolis.

Couldn't agree more, Roy. I am certainly not pleased that the Lakers franchise is about to tie the Celtics, but I am not going to look for the smallest sliver of something to make it not true.

[RJ87]

Same ownership, same management, same players?  Then yes, it’s the same franchise, and accordingly, those titles belong to that franchise.  The city of LA doesn’t own those titles, but the Lakers franchise does.

My opinion only, but I feel like Boston fans seem incredibly insecure when they try to take away the Lakers titles from Minneapolis.

 

TP.

[RMO]

What bothers me about it is that they never did this in the Forum.  It was only after their move to staples, with Phil Jackson coming aboard that they started to acknowledge anything about those titles.  Seems like some marketing ploy that the media and league were more than willing to go along with.

[gift]

The franchise certainly owns those titles. Modern Lakers fans probably can't really celebrate them though.