Basketball Pioneer George Mikan Dies at 80

George Mikan, the first great big man of Professional Basketball who led the Minneapolis Lakers to five N.B.A. championships in the 1950s, died on Saturday in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 80.

George Mikan- a basketball legend

George Mikan a giant of a man who towered over opponents and inspired rule changes in professional basketball died Saturday. He was 80.

Mikan, who played for the Minneapolis Lakers of the National Basketball Association from 1949 to 1956, was one of the league’s first true superstars. He was named one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players in 1996.

At 6 feet 10 inches tall, Mikan was a dominating force in the middle. He led the Lakers to five NBA championships and was selected as the league’s most Valuable Player three times.

Mikan’s impact on the game was so great that the NBA widened the lane from six to 12 feet to try to contain him. The rule is still in place today.

“He was probably one of the two or three most dominating players in the history of our game,” said Jerry Colangelo, chairman and CEO of USA Basketball “He just had an aura about him.”

His impact on the game

George Mikan a towering figure in early professional basketball who helped change the way the game was played with his aggressive style of play near the basket, died Saturday. He was 80.

Mikan, who was 6-foot-10, was one of the first big men to player professional basketball and his dominance helped lead to rule changes that opened up the game and emphasized speed and scoring over physical play.

Mikan starred for the Minneapolis Lakers, leading the team to five championships in six years in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He was named Most Valuable Player three times and was an All-Star in each of his six seasons. He averaged 22.6 points and 13.4 rebounds per game for his career.

His Hall of Fame career

Basketball pioneer George Mikan, the first dominant big man in the sport and one of the game’s greatest players died Saturday. He was 80.

Mikan, whose pro career spanned nearly two decades with the Minneapolis Lakers, was one of basketball’s first superstars and changed the game with his dominance in the post. He was a six-Ime Nba champion and five-time NBA All-Star and his jersey number 99 is retired by the Lakers.

“George Mikan was not only one of basketball’s greatest players he was one of its biggest stars,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement. “His impact on our game was profound.”

Mikan’s play in the post helped open up the court and pave the way for future big men like Bill Russell Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Standing 6 feet 10 inches tall, Mikan was a physical presence in an era when there were few tall players in basketball.

He led DePaul to two NCAA Final Fours and was named college basketball’s player of the year three times. He also helped lead the Lakers to five NBA Championships in six years in the 1950s.

Mikan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959 and into the NBA Hall of Fame in 1993.

His later years

Mikan, who was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959, spent his later years running a successful real estate business in Scottsdale, Ariz. He also served as a color commentator on radio and television broadcasts of Minnesota Lakers games.

Mikan’s health began to decline in recent years and he underwent open-heart surgery in 2005. He is survived by his wife, Patricia, and four children.

His death- a shock to the basketball world

His death came as a shock to the Basketball World with many of his admirers taking to social media to mourn the loss of the player they considered a pioneer.
Mikan, who stood at 6 feet 10 inches tall, was one of the first big men to dominate basketball and is credited with helping to establish the NBA as a Major League He was a three-time NCAA All-American and led the DePaul University Blue Demons to the 1945 NCAA championship He also helped lead the Minneapolis Lakers to five NBA championships in six years in the 1950s.

Tributes to a basketball pioneer

George Mikan, a giant of the game who transformed basketball with his size and skill under the basket, died Wednesday. He was 80.

Mikan’s impact was so great that the rules of basketball were changed to open up the game and create more scoring opportunities. The lane was widened to allow driving layups, and goaltending was prohibited.

“George Mikan truly was the pioneer of big men in our game,” said Jerry Colangelo, chairman of USA Basketball and a longtime friend of Mikan’s. “He set the standard for those who followed.”

A 6-foot-10 center, Mikan dominated the sport in the 1940s and 1950s as a member of the Minneapolis Lakers teams that won five NBA championships He was a three-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a six-time All-Star.

Mikan’s family released a statement Thursday saying he “passed away peacefully” surrounded by loved ones. A cause of death was not given.

His legacy

Mikan’s offensive dominance and his 6-foot-10, 245-pound frame transformed the game in the 1940s and ’50s. He was the sport’s first big man, one who changed how the game was played with his back-to-the-basket style.

His family

George Mikan, the Basketball Hall of Famer who was one of the sport’s first superstars and later helped shape its rules, has died. He was 80.Mikan’s family said he died Saturday at a Scottsdale, Ariz., hospital after battling diabetes for many years.
The 6-foot-10 center played for DePaul from 1942-45 and helped lead the Blue Demons to the 1945 NCAA Championship game He averaged 23 points and 15 rebounds in his three seasons.

His place in basketball history

George Mikan, a giant among men in the early days of Pro Basketball and the dominant player of his era, died Sunday. He was 80.

Mikan was a 6-foot-10 center who played for the Minneapolis Lakers in the National Basketball League and the NBA from 1946 to 1956. He was selected as one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players in 1996, and his impact on the game was enormous.

Mikan was a gifted scorer and rebounder, and his size and skill changed the way basketball was played. He popularized the use of the hook shot, and his physical play helped lead to rule changes that widened the lane and prohibited offensive goaltending.

Mikan’s dominance helped make Pro Basketball a viable sport in the 1950s, and his accomplishments inspired a generation of big men who followed him, including Bill Russell Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

His impact on the game today

George Mikan, who revolutionized basketball as the game’s first big man and paved the way for the modern NBA, died Sunday. He was 80.

Mikan’s family said he died peacefully at a Minneapolis hospital surrounded by his wife, Patricia, and their children. The cause of death was not immediately determined, but Mikan had been in failing health for several years and had diabetes.

Mikan was one of basketball’s first superstars, a 6-foot-10 center with extraordinary agility for his size who changed the way the game was played with his dominance in the post. He led the Minneapolis Lakers to five NBA Championships in six seasons in the late 1940s and early ’50s, and his impact on the game was profound.

“He was the most dominant player of his era,” said Hall of Fame coach Jack Ramsay, who faced Mikan many times when Ramsay was coaching against him as an assistant with the Rochester Royals. “He completely altered how people played basketball.”

In an era before shot clocks, zone defenses or three-point shots, Mikan used hissize, strength and agility to score at will against much smaller defenders. He averaged more than 20 points per game in each of his nine seasons in the NBA — a record that stood until 1969 — and twice averaged more than 27 points per game He also led the league in rebounding four times.