When one thinks about the rich championship tradition of the Los Angeles Lakers, certain names come to mind.
Magic Johnson. Kobe Bryant. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Shaquille O’Neal. Jerry West. Wilt Chamberlain. Jerry West.
George Mikan doesn’t necessarily come to mind, mostly because he played for the Minneapolis iteration of the Lakers during the NBA’s infancy in the late 1940s and 1950s.
However, he was one of the game’s true giants. He averaged 23.1 points and 13.4 rebounds per game in his seven seasons while leading the Lakers to five NBA championships in a six-year period.
Early this season, the Lakers will honor his memory by retiring his No. 99 jersey at Crypto.com Arena.
5x Champion, All-Star, MVP, and the man behind the Mikan Drill.
On October 30th we celebrate Mr. Basketball. pic.twitter.com/ydUOggbOFQ
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 21, 2022
Mikan passed away in 2005 at age 80, but his memory will always live on among those who were fortunate enough to see him play, as well as younger folks who know their NBA history.
Just as Babe Ruth defined Major League Baseball in the early 20th century and helped make it into our national pastime, Mikan was the first to put the NBA on the map during a time in which it was struggling to gain a foothold on the landscape of American pro sports.
In reality, Lakers mystique and tradition started with Mikan’s teams.
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