Basketball was a different game when George Mikan began to play in the early 1940s, so much so that it was believed that his 6’ 10” frame was a liability and not an asset.
Seriously, that was the belief.
Mikan began as a clumsy kid and ended his career in the game as one of the best. A star at DePaul, Mikan joined Chicago of the NBL, taking them to a championship, and then did so for the Minneapolis Lakers shortly after. As they joined the NBA, Mikan took them to four more titles, using his size on both ends of the basket to dominate the league's early years and was their biggest star (both literally and figuratively.)
5 BAA/NBA Championships (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953 & 1954)
2 NBL Championships (1947 & 1948)
NBL MVP (1948)
6 All-BAA/NBA First Team Selections (1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953 & 1954)
2 NBL First Team Selections (1947 & 1948)
4 All-Star Games (1951, 1952, 1953 & 1954)
3 BAA/NBA Scoring Titles (1949, 1950 & 1951)
1 NBL Scoring Title (1948)
1 NBA Rebounding Title (1948)
2 Helms Player of the Years (1944 & 1945
3-Time First Team All-American (1944, 1945 & 1946)
11,764 NBA Points
4,167 NBA Rebounds
1,245 NBA Assists
Member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame
Member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame
Number retired by the Los Angeles Lakers
Number retired by DePaul
Named to the NBA 25th Anniversary Team
Named to the NBA 35th Anniversary Team
Named to the NBA 50th Anniversary Team
Named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team