Detroit Gems
| Detroit Gems | |
|---|---|
| Division | Western Division |
| Leagues | National Basketball League |
| Founded | 1946 |
| History | Detroit Gems 1946–1947 (NBL) Minneapolis Lakers 1947–1948 (NBL) 1948–1960 (NBA) Los Angeles Lakers 1960–present |
| Arena | Dearborn Forum (Planned) |
| Location | Detroit, Michigan |
| Team colors | Blue, white, red |
| Ownership | Maurice Winston C. King Boring |
The Detroit Gems were an American professional basketball team based in Detroit, Michigan. Supposedly, the Detroit Gems had played some sort of team-based basketball at a competitive level earlier on either as an independent team or as a more local, competitive team within the state of Michigan before joining the National Basketball League. The team played only one season, the 1946–47 season, in the Western Division of the National Basketball League, which eventually became a predecessor organization to the National Basketball Association. Following the season, the franchise was sold and moved to Minneapolis to become the Minneapolis Lakers. In 1960, they relocated again, this time to Los Angeles, and became the Los Angeles Lakers.