Ben Berger (1897-1988) was a Minneapolis businessman. He was born in Ostrowiec, Poland and moved to the United States at age 16. 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 to Minneapolis Lakers. He co owned the team until 1957, during thoses years the Lakers won 6 league titles (1 NBL and 5 BAA/NBA). After he and Chalfen sold the team in 1957 to a group headed by Bob Short, Berger founded a group that worked with recently release convicts helping them readjust to society. 1897 (MDCCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... “Minneapolis” redirects here. ... Morris Chalfen morris chalfen purchased and relocated a near-extinct National Basketball League (NBL) franchise. ... The National Basketball League was a professional basketball league in the United States from 1937 to 1949. ... The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association team based in Los Angeles, California. ... Robert Earl Short (July 20, 1917 - November 20, 1982) was an American sport teams owner and politician. ...