- Mikan, George Lawrence
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▪ 2006American basketball player and lawyer (b. June 18, 1924, Joliet, Ill.—d. June 1, 2005, Scottsdale, Ariz.), transformed basketball as the game's first outstanding big man. His dominating play resulted in several rule changes and led the Minneapolis (now Los Angeles) Lakers to six championships (1948–50; 1952–54). Initially a clumsy player, the 2.8-m (6-ft 10-in)-tall, nearsighted Mikan developed into an offensive threat under the tutelage of coach Ray Meyer at DePaul University, Chicago. Known for his hook shot, Mikan helped DePaul win the National Invitational Tournament in 1945. After graduating the following year, he joined the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League (NBL), and in 1947 he led the Gears to the NBL championship. Later that year he signed with the Lakers, a team that became part of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1949. Mikan played for the Lakers from 1947 to 1954 and again from 1955 to 1956. Although the NBA attempted to limit his effectiveness by widening the free-throw lane (1951) and introducing the 24-second shot clock (1954), Mikan emerged as the game's first superstar. In nine seasons of professional play, he scored 11,764 points in 520 regular games, averaging 22.6 points a game. After retiring in 1956, he briefly coached (1957–58) the Lakers and served as the first commissioner (1967–69) of the American Basketball Association before concentrating on a law career. Mikan was among the first class inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959, and in 1996 he was named one of the NBA's 50 greatest players.
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Universalium. 2010.