Keywords
Arete, Sport and Society, American Sport History, Basketball, NBA, George Mikan, Minneapolis Lakers, Glasses, Big man, 24-second clock
Subjects
Mikan, George, 1924-2005; Basketball; Minneapolis Lakers (Basketball team); Eyeglasses; Stature
Introduction
He made the number 99 on his jersey famous decades before Wayne Gretzky wore it on his hockey sweater. George Mikan, the 6'10" center of the Minneapolis Lakers died on Thursday at the age of 80. He was the first big man in professional basketball, the first in college basketball, and he was a key reason the NBA succeeded when other leagues had failed. Leonard Koppett in his history of the NBA called the first eight years of league existence the "The Mikan Era." That is certainly how I remember those years as a boy in Minneapolis.
Publication Date
6-4-2005
Document Type
Commentary
Type
Text
Format
application/pdf
Source Title
Sport and Society for Arete
Language
English
Collection
Publication Version
Author's version
Copyright Status
Author retained
College
College of Arts and Humanities
Department
History
Creator (Linked Data)
Crepeau, Richard C., 1941- (VIAF)
Recommended Citation
Crepeau, Richard C., "In memory of George Mikan" (2005). On Sport and Society. 694.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/onsportandsociety/694
Included in
Cultural History Commons, Journalism Studies Commons, Other History Commons, Sports Management Commons, Sports Studies Commons