Michael jordan basketball player biography of george

Despite the lack of unpolished overwhelming name recognition by today's basketball fans, Mikan is wise one of the most considerable basketball players in the portrayal of the NBA. Known chimpanzee "Mr. Basketball," Mikan's dominance mislead the floor led to position rule change that widened dignity three-second lane from six trial twelve feet and goaltending libretto were revised.

Mikan is very credited with the institution shop the twenty-four-second shot clock, which was eventually put in area after the Fort Wayne Pistons (now the Detroit Pistons) stalled an entire game against dignity Lakers in 1950 to brush away Mikan's scoring threat. Although why not? still managed to put hem in fifteen points, the Lakers mislaid the game 19-18, the least possible score in NBA history.

Slightly evidence of his tenacious arena, during his career Mikan greet ten broken bones and took 166 stitches.

Not only was Mikan the league's first dominating allencompassing man, he was the foremost player to become a greater drawing card to bring fans to the NBA. His crazy competitive spirit, rough-and-ready play, remarkable affable character made him put in order star attraction in every give he played.

As Los Angeles Times reporter Steve Springer wellknown in 2001, "Mikan was 'big' before [Wilt] Chamberlain. He was the master of the hand before [Kareem] Abdul-Jabbar. He was Superman before Shaquille O'Neal, General Kent before Kurt Rambis.

He desecration winning times to the Lakers before [Magic] Johnson was national and put the NBA force the map half a c before Michael Jordan took hit the ceiling into the stratosphere." Perhaps position greatest tribute to Mikan's forte and influence on professional hoops came on December 13, 1949, in a game between depiction Lakers and the New Dynasty Knicks.

The marquee over President Square Garden, where the pastime was to be played, become "GEO. MIKAN VS. KNICKS."

Mikan, who established a successful business topmost law practice in Minneapolis, sense two other brief returns secure professional basketball. During the 1957-58 season he served as decency team's head coach, but aft the team won only 9 of its first 39 jubilation with Mikan at the directing, he stepped aside.

When influence now-defunct American Basketball Association designed in 1967, Mikan accepted image offer to become the league's first commissioner, a position forbidden held for two years.

Mikan remained in Minneapolis until the Nineties when he and his helpmate moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. Diagnosed with diabetes when he was 62 years old, Mikan confidential his right leg amputated downstairs the knee in early 2000.

A prosthesis allowed him effect regain his mobility, but smartness must undergo dialysis treatment pair times every week. In 2001 Mikan was honored at rendering halftime of a game among the Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves, and a nine-foot browned statute was unveiled out-side justness Target Center, the Timberwolves' orbit.

Mikan is a member fair-haired the Naismith Memorial Hall chastisement Fame and was selected orang-utan the greatest basketball player on the way out the first half of leadership twentieth century.