| 1948–49 BAA season | |
|---|---|
| League | Basketball Association of America |
| Sport | Basketball |
| 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 | |
| Finals champions | Minneapolis Lakers |
| Runners-up | Washington Capitols |
| BAA/NBA seasons | |
| ← 1947–48 | |
The 1948–49 BAA season was the third season of the Basketball Association of America (BAA), the league that would eventually become the National Basketball Association (NBA). The season ended with the Minneapolis Lakers winning the BAA Championship, beating the Washington Capitols 4 games to 2 in the BAA Finals.
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[]
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Capitols | 38 | 22 | .633 | - |
| New York Knicks | 32 | 28 | .533 | 6 |
| Baltimore Bullets | 29 | 31 | .483 | 9 |
| Philadelphia Warriors | 28 | 32 | .467 | 10 |
| Boston Celtics | 25 | 35 | .417 | 13 |
| Providence Steamrollers | 12 | 48 | .200 | 26 |
Western Division[]
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester Royals | 45 | 15 | .750 | - |
| Minneapolis Lakers | 44 | 16 | .733 | 1 |
| Chicago Stags | 38 | 22 | .633 | 7 |
| St. Louis Bombers | 29 | 31 | .483 | 16 |
| Fort Wayne Pistons | 22 | 38 | .367 | 23 |
| 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 | 42.3 |
| FT% | Bob Feerick | Washington Capitols | 85.9 |
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:
- Max Zaslofsky, Chicago Stags
- Bob Davies, Rochester Royals
- George Mikan, Minneapolis Lakers
- Jim Pollard, Minneapolis Lakers
- Joe Fulks, Philadelphia Warriors
Note: All information on this page were obtained on the History section on NBA.com