George Mikan

George Lawrence Mikan ( born June 18, 1924 in Joliet, Illinois, † June 1, 2005 in Scottsdale, Arizona ) was an American professional basketball player in the NBA. With 2.08 m, it was the first successful "big man " in basketball.

Professional career

George Mikan was the son of Croatian parents, who came from Vivodina near Karlovac and emigrated to the United States. Mikan studied at DePaul University in Chicago and began there also, to play basketball. His height allows him to catch balls thrown short of the basket, which is called in English " goaltending ". Mikan and Bob Kurland dominated with this kind of defense such that the NCAA 1944 "Goal tending " declared foul. Nevertheless, the dominance continued in 1945 and Mikan was with DePaul University "NIT champion". This highly prestigious titles to date and made ​​known to him a star nationwide. The next year he signed his first professional contract with the Chicago Gears. With the Gears Mikan was champion at first. After this successful season expresses wanted to start their own league, the owner of the Gears, the National Professional Basketball League. However, the League broke up early again and the rights to Mikan Minneapolis Lakers were the attributed. With Mikan in the team in the league freshman from Minneapolis was directly Champion. The NBL had its best season but lost and then among other things the Lakers to the BAA. Also in the BAA and later in the NBA with the Lakers put Mikan his winning streak continues and has been in eight years as a professional seven -time champion. After the 1954 Championship Mikan ended his career. 1955/56, he launched a comeback, however, broke this experiment myself from time to any reputational damage to suffer. To this day, his name is inextricably linked with this first era of professional basketball. Shortly after the end of his career he was elected the best basketball player in the first half of the 20th century, a title he has to share from today's perspective, at most with Bob Cousy.

Honors

Joliet (Illinois) Center (Basketball) National Basketball Association National Basketball League (United States) Basketball Association of America Nate Archibald Charles Barkley Rick Barry Dave Bing Larry Bird Billy Cunningham Dave DeBusschere Clyde Drexler Walt Frazier George Gervin Hal Greer John Havlicek Elvin Hayes Sam Jones (basketball) Karl Malone Moses Malone Earl Monroe Hakeem Olajuwon Robert Parish Bob Pettit Willis Reed Oscar Robertson David Robinson (basketball) Bill Russell Bill Sharman Isiah Thomas Nate Thurmond Wes Unseld Bill Walton Lenny Wilkens James Worthy
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