This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Coffee (talk | contribs) at 10:32, 19 December 2019 (nowhere in the source provided does it state what his family was (parents could have had mixed backgrounds).. thus removing OR... and what without background on the question of religion or ethnicity becomes a WP:CAT/R violation... if you want to readd ethnicity/religious affiliation do so using multiple reliable sources to make it clear this is how a consensus of reliable sources has covered him and don't use "born into a X family" without using sources that state what his entire family was). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 10:32, 19 December 2019 by Coffee (talk | contribs) (nowhere in the source provided does it state what his family was (parents could have had mixed backgrounds).. thus removing OR... and what without background on the question of religion or ethnicity becomes a WP:CAT/R violation... if you want to readd ethnicity/religious affiliation do so using multiple reliable sources to make it clear this is how a consensus of reliable sources has covered him and don't use "born into a X family" without using sources that state what his entire family was)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff) | This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Ben Berger" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Ben Berger | |
|---|---|
| Born | Benjamin N. Berger 1897 Ostrowiec, Poland |
| Died | 1988 |
| Occupation | Sports entertainment executive |
| Known for | Owner of the Minnesota Lakers (later Los Angeles Lakers) |
| Spouse | Mildred Berger |
| Children | 1 |
Ben Berger (1897 – 1988) was a Minneapolis businessman, perhaps best known for being one of the original owners of the Detroit Gems National Basketball League team, which he helped move to Minneapolis and renamed the Minneapolis Lakers.
Biography
Berger was born in Ostrowiec, Poland and moved to the United States at age 16 in 1913 at age 16 settling in Fargo, North Dakota. He bacame a U.S. citizen while serving in World War I. In 1921, he purchased his first movie house in Grand Forks, North Dakota which evolved into a chain of 19 theaters. In 1944, he bought Schiek's Cafe, a popular local nightclub.
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. 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.
In the late 1950s, Berger was the owner and president of the minor league hockey team, the Minneapolis Millers.
References
- There are several places in Poland called Ostrowiec, and Polish Misplaced Pages contains some more. It is unclear which one was Berger's birthplace, and records may no longer exist.
- ^ "Philanthropist Benjamin Berger Dies At 91". Associated Press. February 10, 1988.
- Online, NBA Hoops. "Detroit Gems".
- 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.