Ben Berger

Ben Berger (1897 – 1988) was a Minneapolis businessman. He was born in Ostrowiec,[1] Poland and moved to the United States at age 16.

Career

He owned movie theaters and cafes in Minneapolis.

In 1947, he along with Morris Chalfen bought the Detroit Gems of the National Basketball League. They relocated and renamed the team the Minneapolis Lakers.[2][3] He co-owned the team until 1957. During those years the Lakers won 6 league titles (1 NBL and 5 BAA/NBA). They sold the team in 1957.

References

  1. ↑ There are several places in Poland called Ostrowiec, and Polish Wikipedia contains some more. It is unclear which one was Berger's birthplace, and records may no longer exist.
  2. ↑ Online, NBA Hoops. "Detroit Gems".
  3. ↑ Joel Rippel (July 24, 2017). "John Kundla, former Minneapolis Lakers coach and Basketball Hall of Famer, dies at 101". Star Tribune. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
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