Great Subs @ SUBMARINA - Hemet
 
I am always curious about how things started.  I haven't talked about the LA Lakers for a while now, so when I came upon "Lucky Lakers" it piqued my curiosity.

Are the "Lucky Lakers" our LA Lakers?  It appears that they are.  As discussed in a previous post the LA Lakers started their history not in Los Angeles but elsewhere.

They got their nickname "Lucky Lakers" not from a lucky shot in a game but from an airplane mishap while returning home from a game.

The Minneapolis Lakers, yes Minneapolis - they played in Minneapolis, Minnesota for 13 years before moving to LA - were flying back from St. Louis after a game against the Hawks (who remembers the St. Louis Hawks? if you do shoot me a comment).

A quick Lakers history: 

                               Detroit Gems             1946 
                               Minneapolis Lakers        1947-1960,
                               LA Lakers                      1960- present.

On January 18, 1960 while flying home both generators on the Lakers DC-3 airplane failed shortly after take-off knocking out all lights, the radio and internal cabin power.

The pilots first thought they could fly home by "eyeball navigation," unfortunately the ice became too heavy and they were forced to land in a snowy field near the town of Carroll, Iowa around 70 miles from Des Moines.

The plane's two pilots and 23 Lakers' passengers survived the landing, being met on the ground by two vehicles, the local ambulance annnnnnnnd the undertaker's vehicle!

"Lucky Lakers!" I say.
Bug
1/18/2010 04:11:01 pm

St. Louis Hawks -- todays Atlanta hawks?

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