Wilt Chamberlain 5. kobe Bryant 6. [9], Mikan was named the Helms NCAA College Player of the Year in 1944 and 1945 and was an All-American three times. So, I’m going to use today’s post to talk about his achievements and impact on the game of basketball. Mikan and O'Neal weren't just linked because they were big men, superstars in a game that changed dramatically over the decades, from a … [1], In the 1950–51 NBA season, Mikan was dominant again, scoring a career-best 28.4 points per game in the regular season, again taking the scoring crown, and had 3.1 assists per game. In 1946, the Chicago American Gears made George Mikan the highest paid basketball player by giving him a 5-year deal worth $60,000. This oversight has a lot to do with the fact that Mikan played for the Lakers prior to their move to Los Angeles, when the team was still located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Shaq si esibisce in un tagliafuori su Kareem e George Mikan Tre epoche diverse. Elgin Baylor 10. Probably Wilt, Shaq, LeBron, or Giannis. Tre modi diversi di giocare a Basket Tre generazioni di Lakers a confronto in un'unica magnifica foto. Yet this honor still has not been bestowed on one of the franchise’s greatest players, George Mikan. [5] Juraj left his native country and came to Braddock, Pennsylvania in 1891, and married another Croatian immigrant, Marija, in 1906 in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. his constant complaining and criticizing led the league to allow his uncoordinated gorilla style of play to continue. … 8. [15] He was inducted into the inaugural Basketball Hall of Fame class of 1959 and was declared the greatest player of the first half of the century by The Associated Press. [1], In 1956, Mikan was the Republican candidate for the United States Congress in Minnesota's 3rd congressional district. shaq is an anomaly because i believe he changed the game more through his popularity than through any talent or dominance he had. [12] Mikan also had a truly dominating game that season—on January 20, 1952, he scored a personal-best 61 points in a 91-81 double overtime victory against the Rochester Royals. With one of the most motivated fan bases in the league and an extensive championship pedigree, the Lakers are secure in their identity as a Los Angeles team. Shaquille O'Neal paid for Mikan's funeral, saying: "Without number 99 [Mikan], there is no me. [4], Mikan dominated his peers from the start of his National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college games at DePaul. Brividi e un grazie di cuore a George Mikan… George Mikan 7. In the 1957–58 NBA season, Lakers coach John Kundla became general manager and persuaded Mikan to become coach of the Lakers. Jerry West 4. But i will go with shaq! He also brought relevance to the entire game of basketball at a time when its cultural impact was far smaller than it is today. He later said: "I had a family growing, and I decided to be with them. Kareem and Shaq have maintained their popularity and place in the public’s consciousness, and Mikan is an oft-forgotten legend to younger fans. They are "the big legendaries" for a reason. James Worthy 8. shaquille o'neal 9. In order to lure basketball fans to his league, Mikan invented the league's characteristic red-white-and-blue ABA ball, which he thought more patriotic, better suited for TV, and more crowd-pleasing than the brown NBA ball,[1] and instituted the three-point line. In his later years, Mikan suffered from diabetes and failing kidneys, and eventually, his illness caused his right leg to be amputated below the knee. Ha donato gran parte dei suoi guadagni a sostegno di diversi enti di beneficenza tra cui The Children, la Boys & Girls Club of America. [19], American basketball player, coach, commissioner. Accendiamo la lampada Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis did not show any nerves in his NBA Finals debut on Thursday, as he led L.A. to an impressive 116-98 victory against the Miami Heat. The following year, the Lakers and three other NBL franchises jumped to the fledgling Basketball Association of America. [1] Bob Kurland, a seven foot tall center for Oklahoma A&M, was one of the few opposing centers to have any success against Mikan. The franchise folded after their second season. The drill is meant to help players find their rhythm when taking close-range shots and when rebounding. For six months, Mikan did not get any assignments at all, leaving him in financial difficulties that forced him to cash in on his life insurance. In fact, when Mikan died in 2005, Shaq famously said, “Without number 99 [Mikan], there is no me.” He also paid for the funeral. [13] In the postseason, Mikan fractured his leg before the 1951 Western Division Finals against the Rochester Royals. [13] With no shot clock invented yet to force them into offense, the score stayed 19–18 to make it the lowest-scoring NBA game of all time. Scoring with this ball brings two shootout points instead of one. But did you know that the first super-dominant player was a player by the name of George Mikan? Which of these 3 players changed the game more/dominated the game more? These include such legends as Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Wilt Chamberlain. George Mikan in the late 40’s-50’s, Wilt Chamberlin in the late 60’s-early 70’s. Mikan was a harbinger of the NBA's future, which would be dominated by tall, powerful players. But did you know he was the original superstar and OG dominant player of the NBA? In 1945, he led DePaul to the NIT title, which at that time was as prestigious as the NCAA title. He played in 37 games, but his long absence had affected his play. James Worthy 8. shaquille o'neal 9. But did you know that the first super-dominant player… Mikan was the first top center in basketball, wilt was good. At the time, it was the second-best scoring performance in league history behind Joe Fulks' 63-point game in 1949. The team split the next four games, and in Game 6, the Lakers won 110–95 and won the first-ever NBA championship. Toggle navigation. Shaq si esibisce in un tagliafuori su Kareem e George Mikan Tre epoche diverse. [4][13] He is interred at Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis. The drill is meant to help players find their rhythm when taking close-range shots and when rebounding. Forse il suo gesto più toccante è stato quando ha interamente finanziato il funerale di George Mikan (NBA Hall of Famer). [13] He was also the older brother of Ed Mikan, another basketball player for DePaul, the BAA, and the Philadelphia Warriors of the NBA. [12] In that year, the NBA introduced a new statistic: rebounds. He still pulled down 13.5 rebounds per game, asserting himself as a top rebounder, and logged 3.0 assists per game. He was instrumental in forming the Minnesota Timberwolves. [1] After comfortably leading his team to an impressive 51–17 record and storming through the playoffs, Mikan's team played the 1950 NBA Finals against the Syracuse Nationals. Mikan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of its inaugural 1959 class, just three years after ending his career. [3], George Mikan was born in Joliet, Illinois, to a Croatian father, Joseph, and a Lithuanian mother, Minnie,[5] along with brothers Joe and Ed, and sister Marie. Probably Wilt, Shaq, LeBron, or Giannis. If you’re keeping it real, you’ve probably never heard of him before (though you’ve probably heard of the Mikan Drill ). do ure research on Mikan He intimidated opponents with his size and strength, was unstoppable on offense with his hook shot, and soon established a reputation as one of the hardest and grittiest players in the league, often playing through injuries and punishing opposing centers with hard fouls. Mikan also led the Minneapolis Lakers to five championships in the span of six years. Since April 2001, a statue of Mikan shooting his trademark hook shot stands at the entrance of the Timberwolves' Target Center. I felt it was time to get started with the professional world outside of basketball." [14], During the 1952–53 NBA season, Mikan averaged 20.6 points and a career-high 14.4 rebounds per game, the highest in the league, as well as 2.9 assists per game. In 1996, the Associated Press named Mikan one of the 50 greatest players of all time. Shaq is the most recent one. [4], For his accomplishments, Mikan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959, made the 25th and 35th NBA Anniversary Teams of 1970 and 1980, and was elected one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. Anche davanti a un certo Wilt Chamberlain (o a George Mikan) 8/13 ©Getty. E solo al pensare che tutti gli altri 46 giocatori premiati (mancavano all’appello West, Maravich e Shaq) erano lì anche e soprattutto per merito suo, e che a lui dovevano parecchio, in barba a qualsiasi classifica di questo tipo, ci sono solo brividi. [8], While in high school Mikan met 28-year-old rookie DePaul basketball coach Ray Meyer, who saw potential in the bright and intelligent, but also clumsy and shy, freshman. [7] In addition, Mikan also surprised the basketball world with his unique ability of goaltending, i.e. He was the big diesel for a reason, plus he created open shots for kobe, horry, and fisher. [12] Under his leadership, the Lakers won another NBA title in the 1954 NBA Finals, making it their third-straight championship and fifth in six years; the only time they lost had been when Mikan fractured his leg. Wier received 127,356 votes to Mikan's 117,716. In fact, they are so secure that they have even suited up in throwback Minneapolis jerseys in recent seasons. [1] A main proponent of this rule was New York Knicks coach Joe Lapchick, who regarded Mikan as his nemesis, and it was dubbed "The Mikan Rule". When Mikan entered Chicago's DePaul University in 1942, he stood 6' 10", weighed 245 pounds, moved awkwardly because of his frame, and wore thick glasses for his nearsightedness. Meyer and Mikan worked out intensively, and Mikan learned how to make hook shots accurately with either hand. With rookie Mikan in the middle, the Gears won the National basketball league championship and then went bankrupt. The 50 Greatest Players in National Basketball Association History (also referred to as NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team or NBA's Top 50) were chosen in 1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Probably Wilt, Shaq, LeBron, or Giannis. Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis did not show any nerves in his NBA Finals debut on Thursday, as he led L.A. to an impressive 116-98 victory against the Miami Heat. Perpetually double-teamed by Knicks' Nat Clifton and Harry Gallatin, Mikan was unable to assert himself and it was more Vern Mikkelsen's credit that the first six games were split. Yet the honors he received extended well beyond that date. But did you know that the first super-dominant player was a player by the name of George Mikan? With Mikan hardly able to move all series long, the Royals won 3–1. [8] In addition, Meyer made Mikan punch a speed bag, take dancing lessons, and jump rope to make him a complete athlete. So, I’m going to use today’s post to talk about his achievements and impact on the game of basketball. Decades later, in 1990, Mikan recalled that his leg was taped with a plate; however, despite effectively hopping around the court on one foot, he said he still averaged 20-odd points per game. [16], Problems also arose in Mikan's professional sports career. When his medical insurance was cut off, Mikan soon found himself in severe financial difficulties. Realizing this, the protégé Shaq offered to pay for the entire cost of the funeral for his mentor. [18], Mikan became so dominant that the NBA had to change its rules of play in order to reduce his influence, such as widening the lane from six to twelve feet ("The Mikan Rule"). Later that season, the Lakers reached the 1952 NBA Finals and were pitted against the New York Knicks. Mikan led the Gears to the championship of the World Basketball Tournament, where he was elected Most Valuable Player after scoring 100 points in five games, and also voted into the All-NBL Team. From a legacy standpoint, this move would seem like a win-win. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. When superstar center Shaquille O'Neal became a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, Mikan appeared on a Sports Illustrated cover in November 1996 with O'Neal and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, calling Abdul-Jabbar and Mikan the "Lakers legends" to whom O'Neal was compared. The Mikan Drill is a basketball exercise created by former NBA player George Mikan and collegiate coach Ray Meyer. Mikan is lauded as the pioneer of the modern age of basketball. Jerry West 4. [13] All his life, Mikan was universally seen as the prototypical "gentle giant", tough and relentless on the court, but friendly and amicable in private life. 8. George Lawrence di nome, Mr. Basketball per soprannome. Wilt Chamberlain 5. kobe Bryant 6. 7/fev/2016 - Before there was Wilt, Kareem or Shaq, and the Lakers were still in Minneapolis, George Mikan was the prototype, dominant, NBA center. "[17] Before Game 5 of the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals between the Heat and the Detroit Pistons, there was a moment of silence to honor Mikan. [1][3], As an official, Mikan is also directly responsible for the ABA three-point line which was later adopted by the NBA; the existence of the Minnesota Timberwolves;[1] and the multi-colored ABA ball, which still lives on as the "money ball" in the NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest. As well as being declared the greatest player of the first half of the century by The Associated Press, Mikan was on the Helms Athletic Foundation all-time All-American team, chosen in a 1952 poll, made the 25th and 35th NBA Anniversary Teams of 1970 and 1980 and was elected one of the NBA 50 Greatest Players in 1996. [7] Mikan did not seem destined to become an athlete. In 1994, Mikan became the part-owner and chairman of the board of the Chicago Cheetahs, a professional roller hockey team based in Chicago, that played in Roller Hockey International. In this category, Mikan also stood out; his 14.1 rebounds per game (rpg) was only second to the 16.4 rpg of Dolph Schayes of Syracuse. Invariably playing with thick, round spectacles, the 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), 245 lb (111 kg) Mikan is seen as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, as well as one of the pioneers of professional basketball, redefining it as a game of so-called big men with his prolific rebounding, shot blocking, and his talent to shoot over smaller defenders with his ambidextrous hook shot, the result of the eponymous Mikan Drill. I mean double team even tripple teams couldnt stop him! George Mikan (1949-1956) You know you’re a dominant player when the league has to create rules just to even the playing field for your opponents. Leggi su Sky Sport l'articolo NBA, Anthony Davis ne fa 50: solo LeBron, Kobe e Shaq come lui dal 2000 a oggi Vi chiedo di contattare i Miami Heat, vorrei sostenere tutte le spese del funerale”. In today's basketball, touching the ball after it reaches its apex is a violation, but in Mikan's time it was legal because people thought it was impossible anyone could reach that high. In his later years, Mikan was involved in a long-standing legal battle against the NBA, to increase the meager pensions of players who had retired before the league became lucrative. At the time of his death, Mikan and his family were struggling with financial hardship. He was the original center, who scored 11,764 points, an average of 22.6 per game, retired as the all-time leading scorer and averaged 13.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 520 NBL, BAA and NBA games. Chick hearn I didnt say players Yet none of those players could have enjoyed the same degree of success if it weren’t for the precedent set by Mikan. In his first season with the Lakers, Mikan led the league in scoring with 1,195 points, becoming the only NBL player to score more than 1,000 points in an NBL season. George Mikan vs. Shaquille O'Neal Comparison Head-to-head comparison between the NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal and George Mikan that includes championships won, honors and awards obtained, regular season and playoffs stats and other data put side by side. George Mikan (1949-1956) You know you’re a dominant player when the league has to create rules just to even the playing field for your opponents. He brought credibility and popularity to the league. In 2001, a statue of Mikan was erected at the entrance of the Target Center, where the Minneapolis Timberwolves play. Chick hearn I didnt say players Besides Shaq, only Joe Fulks (1947), George Mikan (1950,1951), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971) and Michael Jordan, so a total of 5 players have achieved this feat. On the other hand, it would allow the Lakers to officially embrace Mikan as yet another link in their storied history of basketball greatness. From an NBA perspective, the Minneapolis Lakers dynasty has only been convincingly surpassed by the eleven-title Boston Celtics dynasty of 1957–69. Non solo. “ Without No. Many fans feel that the Lakers should go the next step and honor Mikan by retiring his jersey. Those jerseys honored the legacy of success that the Lakers enjoyed in Minnesota between 1947 and 1960. [citation needed]. [3] In addition, a banner in the Staples Center commemorates Mikan and his fellow Minneapolis Lakers. [7] He fought a long and protracted legal battle against the NBA and the NBA Players' Union, protesting the $1,700/month pensions for players who had retired before 1965, the start of the so-called "big money era". [4] The 2005 NBA Finals between the Pistons and the San Antonio Spurs was dedicated to Mikan. The Lakers defeated the Washington Capitols in the 1949 BAA Finals. Mikan’s contributions to the game extended beyond his personal accomplishments, or even the way he revolutionized his position. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Professional Basketball League of America, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Game 5 of the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals, List of National Basketball Association single-game scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association annual scoring leaders, List of National Basketball Association annual rebounding leaders, List of NBA players with most championships, "Mikan was first pro to dominate the post", "The American Croatian Historical Review", "George Mikan gentle giant and the first big dominant basketball player in the history of NBA has Croatian roots", Mr. Basketball: George Mikan, the Minneapolis Lakers, and the Birth of the NBA, "NBL Single Season Leaders and Records for Points", "NBA pioneer and Hall of Famer Mikan dies", "NBA & ABA Progressive Leaders and Records for Points", "O'Neal extends gesture to predecessor's family", "PSA 10 George Mikan Rookie Card Sets New Record", Helms Foundation College Basketball Player of the Year, NCAA Division I men's basketball season scoring leaders, 1944 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, 1945 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, 1946 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans, World Professional Basketball Tournament Most Valuable Player Award, National Basketball League (United States) All-Time Team, National Basketball League (United States) season scoring leaders, National Basketball League (United States) Most Valuable Player Award, NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Award, National Basketball Association's 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=George_Mikan&oldid=1006592385, All-American college men's basketball players, American Basketball Association commissioners, Basketball players at the 1943 NCAA Men's Division I Final Four, College men's basketball head coaches in the United States, DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball players, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees, National Basketball Association All-Stars, Professional Basketball League of America players, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2016, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Greatest Player of the First Half-Century (1950), Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 13 February 2021, at 18:46. At the end of the season, Mikan retired for good. George Lawrence Mikan Jr. (June 18, 1924 – June 1, 2005), nicknamed "Mr. Basketball", was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball Association(NBA). GEORGE MIKAN. In 2005, however, his condition worsened.[4][13]. In the 1952 NBA All-Star Game, Mikan had a strong performance with 26 points and 15 rebounds in a West loss. Put into perspective, Meyer's thoughts were revolutionary, because at the time it was believed that tall players were too awkward to ever play basketball well. However, the league folded after just a month, and the players of White's teams were equally distributed among the 11 remaining NBL franchises. George Lawrence Mikan Jr. (June 18, 1924 – June 1, 2005), nicknamed "Mr. Basketball", was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League (NBL) and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was a member of the first four NBA All-Star games, and the first six All-BAA and All-NBA Teams. 1.Magic johnson 2. Since April 2001, a statue of Mikan shooting his trademark hook shot graces the entrance of the Minnesota Timberwolves' Target Center. In the only true home game, Game 7 in the Auditorium, the Lakers won 82–65 and edged the Knicks 4–3, winning the NBA title and earning themselves $7,500 to split among the team. The only players post-2000 Shaq to lead the league in scoring and make the finals are Allen Iverson, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant (2011).