Lou Mohs is probably the most forgotten Laker general managers of all-time. When most think about Laker general managers we think about Bill Sharman, Jerry West and now Mitch Kupchak, but when Lakers owner Bob Short moved the Lakers from Minneapolis to Los Angeles in 1960, he had to hire someone to run the team and that man was his good friend Mohs.

Mohs was a Minnesota native and an avid sports fan, so when he got the chance to help Short run a basketball franchise, he jumped at the opportunity. Legend has it that Short sent Mohs out to Los Angeles first and told him “Call me for anything, but don’t call me for money”. The Lakers were broke, but Mohs turned things around and saved the franchise.

Mohs was the guy who brought in Fred Schaus, the Laker first head coach and the first one to lead them to the Finals. Schaus won 315 games, third on the Laker all-time list and was handpicked by Mohs, and later on would take his place as general manager and lead the Lakers to their first championship in 1972.

Perhaps the biggest accomplishment Mohs had as Laker was drafting Jerry West in 1960. Just think about it. Lou Mohs drafted the logo of the NBA and possibly the greatest player of all-time.

Mohs set the trend for Laker general managers to go after the high-profile players. If it wasn’t for Mohs hiring Chick Hearn the Lakers might not have started off as popular as they did. Mohs was a perfect fit for the struggling franchise that would become the darlings of the NBA.

- John A. Roberts

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Tags | Bill Sharman, Bob Short, Fred Schaus, General managers, Jerry West, lakers, Lou Mohs, Minneapois, Mitch Kupchak, NBA