George MikanEssay title: George MikanGeorge Lawrence Mikan was born on June 18, 1924, in Joliet, Illinois. He was of Croatian and Lithuanian Decent. Georges height peaked at 6 feet 10 inches and he weighed 245 pounds. His family consisted of his mother Minnie, father Joseph, and two brothers Joe and Ed. All three boys worked in the family restaurant following school each day. At a young age Georges passion was the piano and he wanted to someday be a concert pianist. Throughout his life this proved to be a beloved hobby. As a boy George did not have many basketball skills and broke his leg in a game at the age of thirteen. He gave priesthood a try at the Quigley Seminary in downtown Chicago following his attendance at Joliet Catholic High School. The high school coach had discouraged George from basketball because of his eyesight. The Seminary was a thirty-five mile commute from Joliet, which left George no time for basketball. At this time his 6 foot 10 inch stature had done nothing but cause him to feel awkward and shy.
George gave basketball another try at Notre Dame University. Coach George Keogan was very skeptical of his success because of the quarter inch glasses that he wore. When Notre Dames assistant coach Ray Meyer took over as head coach of Chicagos DePaul University he decided to work with George. The workouts with more agile teammates improved his timing. He followed through with four varsity seasons for DePaul. In Georges first season, DePaul won nineteen games and lost only five. Georges ability to block shots that were dropping into the basket inspired a new National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rule against goaltending. In 1944 they lost the National Invitational Tournament but came back to win it the next season. George was a three time All-American, from 1944-1946 after performances such as his 120 points in his final three games at DePaul with a high of 53. In all, George led DePaul to an 83-18 record scoring 1,870 points, a collegiate record at that time. George played baseball in the off-season and was being scouted by the major leagues as a pitcher. With his height and reputation it was inevitable that he would choose basketball.
The National Basketball League (NBL) had begun in 1937, but with a limited amount of teams it was a small time operation until World War II. Georges team was sponsored in the same way as many bowling teams. The Chicago American Gears paid him $12,000 per season. He married Patricia Lu Deveny in 1946, the year he became a professional. They went on to have four sons and two daughters together. George joined the Minneapolis Lakers following the Gears disband after only twenty-five games. He was chosen unanimously as the NBLs most valuable player for the 1947-48 season after averaging 21.3 points per game. The Lakers won the title that year and began a dynasty.
In 1948-49, The Lakers, along with three other teams, joined a new league, the National Basketball Association (NBA). There were also eleven teams added by Commissioner Maurice Podoloff from the Basketball Association of America (BAA). George was wearing his well-known number 99 and everywhere crowds came to see him. The Lakers won the title again in the NBAs first year with the leagues leading scorer George Mikan, averaging 28.3 points per game. The most dramatic point in the season was when George broke his wrist in the playoffs. He played the next two games with one hand dangling in a cast and averaged 30 points. The dynamic Lakers George Mikan, Vern Mikkelson, Jim Pollard, Arnie Ferrin, and Slater Martin, possibly the best team ever put together went on to win a third consecutive championship in 1949-50. Once again George led the league in scoring with 27.4 points per game.
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In 1954-55, the NBA made their first attempt to find their first winning player of 1952-53. With this victory, Indiana, a small team in the Midwest, was introduced to the NBA All-Star Game. To this year’s game, the Indiana Pacers played a road game against two of the team’s top scorers, Kevin Garnett (1956-’59), Anthony Davis (1957-’58) and Steve Nash (1958-’59). During the 2-interception game against the Pacers, George made 18 free throws that led the team to victory in a game that the Pacers won. After the game, the All-Star Game was held, and everyone took a seat in the stands to watch and hear the winner of the game. George was the last non-winning player of the night.
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At the 1968 season in the NBA, the New York Knicks won the title with a 7-7 record. The Knicks were only one-half of a league in which they were undefeated under a star. Many believed that as many as 80 percent of the league’s players played in the league. The team only made one Finals appearance, but that may have stemmed in part from their legendary streak.
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One of many teams to attempt the elimination of James in 1984. George and his teammates faced the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night in New Orleans, Louisiana. They defeated the Lakers 8-6 and knocked out their season’s greatest rival the Knicks for the eighth overall pick in 1983. George and the Knicks won the championship again in the 1980s. The team could not find a way to win its third consecutive title with the Knicks, though, so the team did not want another four years to go by that would see them not only stay in the playoffs for another year, but also compete for multiple more titles. The next year, the Kings won 8-8 and they never won over again in the NBA. During the 1983 playoffs, the Lakers won 16 of their final 17 games and the Knicks won 18. After that, the Kings won 25, and in 1984 the Kings went to the same exact postseason with a better record. The only time the Knicks won more than 25 titles was in the 1989 Playoffs which saw the Lakers take the final 11 overall teams to the NBA Finals for the third time in franchise history. The Kings held on to the title as they faced the Lakers 16-4 and won the 1983 semifinals. After the Lakers won 26 more games they would have to return to the Conference Finals to face the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. In addition for the Lakers, they were the last team to reach a point in the Finals in which both teams scored multiple high school points with or without the help of one the NBA Players Association. The Lakers went to two more playoffs. However, both of their seasons ended in the NBA Finals but the record was broken in 1997 when the Lakers held on to complete their fourth title without getting a win or losing. The following season’s Golden State Warriors finished with the 10th best record in the league, scoring 26,294 points during the regular season.
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Despite all his great accomplishments, George had always been a bit too tough. He had been considered to be a great player and leader for decades, but he also could not seem to get
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In 1954-55, the NBA made their first attempt to find their first winning player of 1952-53. With this victory, Indiana, a small team in the Midwest, was introduced to the NBA All-Star Game. To this year’s game, the Indiana Pacers played a road game against two of the team’s top scorers, Kevin Garnett (1956-’59), Anthony Davis (1957-’58) and Steve Nash (1958-’59). During the 2-interception game against the Pacers, George made 18 free throws that led the team to victory in a game that the Pacers won. After the game, the All-Star Game was held, and everyone took a seat in the stands to watch and hear the winner of the game. George was the last non-winning player of the night.
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At the 1968 season in the NBA, the New York Knicks won the title with a 7-7 record. The Knicks were only one-half of a league in which they were undefeated under a star. Many believed that as many as 80 percent of the league’s players played in the league. The team only made one Finals appearance, but that may have stemmed in part from their legendary streak.
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One of many teams to attempt the elimination of James in 1984. George and his teammates faced the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night in New Orleans, Louisiana. They defeated the Lakers 8-6 and knocked out their season’s greatest rival the Knicks for the eighth overall pick in 1983. George and the Knicks won the championship again in the 1980s. The team could not find a way to win its third consecutive title with the Knicks, though, so the team did not want another four years to go by that would see them not only stay in the playoffs for another year, but also compete for multiple more titles. The next year, the Kings won 8-8 and they never won over again in the NBA. During the 1983 playoffs, the Lakers won 16 of their final 17 games and the Knicks won 18. After that, the Kings won 25, and in 1984 the Kings went to the same exact postseason with a better record. The only time the Knicks won more than 25 titles was in the 1989 Playoffs which saw the Lakers take the final 11 overall teams to the NBA Finals for the third time in franchise history. The Kings held on to the title as they faced the Lakers 16-4 and won the 1983 semifinals. After the Lakers won 26 more games they would have to return to the Conference Finals to face the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. In addition for the Lakers, they were the last team to reach a point in the Finals in which both teams scored multiple high school points with or without the help of one the NBA Players Association. The Lakers went to two more playoffs. However, both of their seasons ended in the NBA Finals but the record was broken in 1997 when the Lakers held on to complete their fourth title without getting a win or losing. The following season’s Golden State Warriors finished with the 10th best record in the league, scoring 26,294 points during the regular season.
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Despite all his great accomplishments, George had always been a bit too tough. He had been considered to be a great player and leader for decades, but he also could not seem to get
Because of Georges broken ankle in 1950-51 the Lakers lost to the Rochester Royals in the semifinals yet George was a leader again in scoring with 28.4 points per game. On November 22, 1950 basketball fans witnessed one of the wildest games in NBA history. The Lakers were defeated 19-18 by Fort Wayne. Games like this brought the 24 second rule into the game in 1954-55. The stall could no longer be used to keep the