Tag: George Mikan

Lakers to retire George Mikan’s jersey on Sunday

The Lakers will honor their ancient past by retiring George Mikan’s No. 99 jersey.

The Los Angeles Lakers have a storied past, yet many people have forgotten or simply ignore their history prior to moving to Southern California.

From 1947 to 1960, they played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where they were the NBA’s first dynasty, winning five championships in six seasons in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

The lynchpin of that dynasty was center George Mikan, the league’s very first superstar. He averaged 23.1 points and 13.4 rebounds a game in seven NBA seasons.

Moving forward, fans who go to a Lakers game at Crypto.com Arena will not be able to ignore his legacy anymore. The team plans to retire his No. 99 jersey on Sunday when it takes on the Denver Nuggets.

Mikan started a long tradition of great Lakers big men, which continued with Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Pau Gasol and now Anthony Davis.

When fans watch Davis and Nikola Jokic do their thing tonight, they should remember a nondescript man wearing glasses paved the way for them some 70 years ago.

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Lakers to retire George Mikan’s jersey this season

In late October, the Lakers will honor the memory of legendary center George Mikan by retiring his jersey.

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.

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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Anthony Edwards has the fourth-best playoff scoring debut in NBA history

Jorge Sierra: Best playoff scoring debuts ever 1. Luka Doncic 42 points 2. John Williamson: 38 3. George Mikan 37 4. ANTHONY EDWARDS: 36 Source: Twitter @hoopshype What’s the buzz on Twitter? Jorge Sierra @ hoopshype Best playoff scoring debuts ever …

Jorge Sierra: Best playoff scoring debuts ever 1. Luka Doncic 42 points 2. John Williamson: 38 3. George Mikan 37 4. ANTHONY EDWARDS: 36

Source: Twitter @hoopshype

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
Best playoff scoring debuts ever
1. Luka Doncic 42 points
2. John Williamson: 38
3. George Mikan 37
4. ANTHONY EDWARDS: 36 – 2:25 AM
Chris Palmer @ChrisPalmerNBA
Anthony Edwards 36 points. Most in a Wolves playoff debut.
Jordan Poole 30 points. 2nd most in a Warriors playoff debut. – 11:11 PM
Rosalyn Gold-Onwude @ROSGO21
“We the ones, Jack… Yea!”👀
-Anthony Edwards dropped 36 pts in his NBA Playoff Debut as the @Minnesota Timberwolves stole Game 1 of the first round vs the Grizzlies in Memphis, 130-117, on @ESPNNBA! 🏀🔥🎤✨@Anthony Edwards pic.twitter.com/4YrnRi34jc – 9:53 PM

Henry Abbott @TrueHoop
Just want to brag for my friend @David Thorpe a moment. Out of 10,000 factors, he said before the game, after much film review, that the T-Wolves would win a game against the Grizzlies because of Anthony Edwards’ crazy shotmaking ability. https://t.co/jaUYcQVvBV pic.twitter.com/EE3Mv65Ca9 – 9:00 PM

Mike Lynch @SportInfo247
Most Points in Team’s playoff opener by player 21 or younger per @Stathead
Luka – 42 in 2020
Tyrese Maxey – 38 today
Anthony Edwards – 36 today
Derrick Rose – 36 in 2009
stathead.com/tiny/10jtj – 8:46 PM
Christopher Hine @ChristopherHine
Anthony Edwards said he recalled a time Jaden McDaniels blocked him in practice before both got to the NBA:
“I went back and told my people, I’m like, ‘Breh, that’s the first time I ever got my layup blocked. … I looked back like, oh this what I got to start going against.” – 8:10 PM
Jon Krawczynski @JonKrawczynski
Why does Anthony Edwards enjoy Memphis so much?
“Because they talk so much trash. Even the kids. The kids was the worst ones. Even eight years old, 10 years old, ‘Anthony go sit down! You suck!’ It’s just fun. Basketball is fun to me. I love it.” – 7:50 PM
Christopher Hine @ChristopherHine
Anthony Edwards:
“I love my shots. Whatever shot I take, whether it’s a stepback trey ball or a stepback mid-range. Or a floater or a layup. Whatever my shot is, I like it. Sometimes coach may not like it, but I love my shot.” – 7:36 PM
Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Anthony Edwards scores 36 in playoff debut, leads Timberwolves over Grizzlies nba.nbcsports.com/2022/04/16/ant… – 7:27 PM
Christopher Hine @ChristopherHine
Anthony Edwards said he likes playing Memphis because they matchup up so well against each other.
“1 through 15 … to the equipment guys.” – 7:24 PM
Meghan Triplett @Meghan_Triplett
Dillon Brooks said his matchup was D’Angelo Russell but when he got in foul trouble and hadn’t gotten going, he switched to Anthony Edwards. – 7:08 PM
StatMuse @statmuse
Youngest player with 35+ in a playoff game:
1. Derrick Rose
2. Tyler Herro
3. Anthony Edwards
Ant did this in his first career playoff game. pic.twitter.com/VpcB01tgEo – 7:00 PM

Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
Anthony Edwards is the 4th 20-year-old to score 35+ in a playoff game, and the 3rd-youngest just ahead of Magic Johnson.  The Timberwolves took Game 1 behind Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns combining to score or assist on 82 of the Timberwolves 130 points (63%) against Memphis. pic.twitter.com/ihjsC4XBGk – 6:51 PM
Dane Moore @DaneMooreNBA
To a lot of questions about Anthony Edwards postgame, Chris Finch’s answer was simple: “He’s in a groove right now.” – 6:49 PM
Justin Kubatko @jkubatko
Anthony Edwards in his postseason debut today:
✅ 36 PTS
✅ 6 AST
✅ 12-23 FG
✅ 8-8 FT
Only two players in NBA history have scored more points in a playoff game before turning 21 years old: Magic Johnson (42) and Tyler Herro (37). pic.twitter.com/mpLHPrZIQS – 6:41 PM

Rob Mahoney @RobMahoney
Anthony Edwards is an absolute boss. In total control in his playoff debut, and of when and where and how he attacked. Just breezed into 36 against one of the NBA’s most punishing defenses. – 6:36 PM
Dan Favale @danfavale
nba players during the three-point era to go for 35+ pts and 5+ assists on 60+ ts% in their playoff debut (via @stathead):
—chris paul (2008)
—derrick rose (2009)
—luka doncic (2020)
—anthony edwards (2022)
pic.twitter.com/jKubPi055W – 6:35 PM
Dane Moore @DaneMooreNBA
One in the bag for the Wolves…
Wolves 130, Grizzlies 117
36 points for Anthony Edwards in a Luka-like playoffs debut for the 20 year-old.
Looking forward to chopping this all up with @Britt Robson for the postgame pod. – 6:32 PM
Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
Anthony Edwards obviously has a ton of points, but he’s also been good defensively in this game, too. Has blown up a few Grizzlies actions today. – 6:20 PM
Gerald Bourguet @GeraldBourguet
Ja Morant can levitate, Anthony Edwards is absolutely not scared of the moment and KAT is bouncing back from an awful game in a big way. What a fun Game 1 – 6:14 PM
Fred Katz @FredKatz
What’s the opposite of a deer in the headlights? A deer seeing a car coming at it at 75MPH and then inexplicably charging at the car?
That’s Anthony Edwards right now. – 6:14 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Anthony Edwards just nailed another three and went back up the court yelling, “Yeaaaaa!”
Grizzlies don’t have an answer for him – 6:13 PM
Ryan Wolstat @WolstatSun
Anthony Edwards set Wolves high for points in playoff debut. If you’re wondering what Scottie Barnes needs to do for Raptors …
Tracy McGrady – 25
Chris Bosh – 22
Jonas Valanciunas – 17
Vince Carter – 16
DeMar DeRozan – 14
OG Anunoby – 12 – 5:50 PM
Peter Vecsey @PeterVecsey1
Anthony Edwards is the first player in a decade or two flaunting the agility & the facility on drive-thrus to evade opponents’ attempt to take a charge. God bless him!! – 5:49 PM
Jay King @ByJayKing
When Anthony Edwards has it going, you wonder what the hell ANYONE is gonna do with him if he really figures it all out. – 5:46 PM
Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Anthony Edwards with some frustration towards coach Chris Finch for calling that timeout.
He thought it broke up a fast-break chance. – 5:39 PM
Peter Edmiston @peteredmiston
Gonna be an interesting challenge to figure out how to defend Anthony Edwards. Obv Dillon Brooks gets the priority but we’ve seen plenty of Clarke on switches, some gimmick stuff too. Edwards is making some really tough shots, too, just a big time player. – 5:30 PM
Jon Krawczynski @JonKrawczynski
Anthony Edwards is unbelievable. – 5:28 PM
Jeff Goodman @GoodmanHoops
Tom Crean won just 5 SEC games with a backcourt of Anthony Edwards and Sahvir Wheeler. – 5:26 PM
Evan Dunlap @BQRMagic
Had no idea Anthony Edwards would be this good this soon. – 5:26 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Dillon Brooks started the first half on D’Angelo Russell. Now he’s guarding Anthony Edwards, who had 19 points in the first half.
(Russell was 1-6 in the 1st half). – 5:17 PM
Michael Pina @MichaelVPina
anthony edwards and tee morant. i very much wish i was close enough to hear whatever is being said – 5:00 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Halftime:
Timberwolves 65 Grizzlies 62
Anthony Edwards has 19 points, Karl Anthony-Towns has 15 points. Ja Morant has 19 to lead the Grizzlies and Dillon Brooks has 10. A good, clean first half battle so far. – 4:59 PM
Marc J. Spears @MarcJSpears
The NBA playoffs is where budding stars become superstars. Anthony Edwards is a rising superstar and the world will see it now. pic.twitter.com/LMym0k2kXs – 4:31 PM
Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Anthony Edwards is built for this, clearly. – 4:28 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Taylor Jenkins called Dillon Brooks “one of the aces in the hole” they the team didn’t have in the regular season. He said Brooks will alternate between guarding D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards – 1:51 PM

More on this storyline

Trae Young: “Lead the League in scoring, but look at my Assist” ❄️🙏🏽❣️💯 -via Twitter @TheTraeYoung / April 11, 2022
Nikola Jokic made history on the night his Denver Nuggets clinched a fourth consecutive playoff berth with a 122-109 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Jokic became the first player in NBA history with 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 500 assists in a season. He had 35 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and five steals Thursday evening. “Dude is really great at basketball,” teammate Bones Hyland said. -via ESPN / April 8, 2022

Bud Grant, Mikan’s Lakers teammate from …

Bud Grant, Mikan’s Lakers teammate from 1949-51, and Pro Football and Canadian Football Hall of Famer, who coached in four Super Bowls and multiple NFL Hall of Famers, thinks so. “I’ve played pro football, coached pro football, played pro basketball and played a lot of baseball, so I’ve been around athletes my entire life,” said Grant, 94, in a telephone interview with The Athletic, “and I don’t know (current athletes) personally, but I follow a lot of sports, I know something about all those sports having played them and, in my career, George Mikan was the greatest competitor I’ve ever been around.”

18 Lakers selected to NBA 75th Anniversary Team

The Los Angeles Lakers had 18 players, both current and former, selected to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.

The 2021-22 NBA season marks the 75th anniversary of the league, which is an astonishing milestone for any league.

To celebrate, the NBA has been acknowledging legends of the game both current and former in a variety of ways.

For the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, the league named 75 of the league’s best players in batches of 25.

The Los Angeles Lakers had 18 players make the list. For a franchise with such a rich history, being one of the most represented teams on the list was expected.

LeBron James was among those selected, and he shared his reaction to the news on Twitter.

From James and more, here is the full list of Lakers that made the team:

Entering Game 3, Doncic has scored the …

Entering Game 3, Doncic has scored the second-most points in his first two playoff contests (70) in NBA history, second only to George Mikan’s 75 points in 1949. In Game 1, Doncic’s 42 points were the most in a playoff debut in league history and tied for the second-most in a playoff game by a player 21 or younger. LeBron James notched 45 points in a postseason game in 2006. “I don’t care about Luka,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said beforehand. “I care about beating the Mavs, honestly. I’m just being honest. We don’t look at it like — Luka, what if we have a great night and they win? We’re still gonna not feel good about the game. You could make a case the other night they made their run when Luka was off the floor. So we focus more on just team defense, and I know what that looks like and we haven’t done it yet.”

Frazier also cited rule changes …

Frazier also cited rule changes designed to limit Chamberlain, who famously dumped 100 points on the Knicks. “There were only two players they ever changed the rules for in pro basketball – George Mikan, and Wilt Chamberlain — widening the lane for them,’’ Frazier said. “The two guys they had to neutralize by changing some aspect of the game. If not for Chamberlain, nobody would’ve heard of any of us. I don’t know if there would’ve been an NBA. If not for Wilt and Bill Russell. I don’t know if the NBA would’ve made it. “I would find it hard to say Mike. Mike is right there with those guys, but if I had to pick, it would be Chamberlain.’’

The top five centers in Los Angeles Lakers history

The Lakers have boasted some of the best centers throughout their storied history.

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the NBA’s most storied franchises, having the second-most titles behind the Boston Celtics. A significant part of the Lakers’ rich history is the collection of centers that has played for the franchise.

According to NBA.com stats, the Lakers have three former centers who rank in the top 10 on the all-time points list. They also have two former centers who rank in the top 10 on the all-time rebounds list.

From playing in the Forum to Staples Center, the Lakers have boasted some of the best big men to ever play the game.

 

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most decorated and accomplished players in Lakers history.

Abdul-Jabbar’s longevity and sustained dominance was one of the hallmarks of his career, as he won six championships in 20 seasons. After winning his first title with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971, Abdul-Jabbar was traded to the Lakers in 1975.

As arguably the best center ever, Abdul-Jabbar had an unstoppable shot: the skyhook. He used it regularly in the post and scored with ease.

Abdul-Jabbar won five titles with the Lakers, being the perfect complement for Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson. During his career with the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar scored 22.1 points per game and grabbed 9.4 rebounds per game. He’s the franchise’s all-time leader in defensive rebounds, and he ranks third all-time in points behind the late Kobe Bryant and Jerry West.

Nicknamed “Cap,” Abdul-Jabbar is the epitome of greatness. A six-time MVP and Hall of Famer, Abdul-Jabbar is easily the best center in Lakers history.

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