The latest J. B. Cash column
Forgotten Hero
George Mikan died last week. He was a genuine American hero, one of the first superstars in professional basketball. Certainly he was the first "big man" with dominating offensive skills. He begat a long line of dominant centers that popularized the game.
Mikan was born in Joliet, Illinois to Croatian parents, and played college basketball at DePaul University (1941-45) under coach Ray Meyer. He began playing professional basketball with the Chicago Gears of the National Basketball League, leading them to the NBL title in 1947. When that team folded, he signed with the Minneapolis Lakers, which joined the NBA in 1948. Mikan was one of the most dominant players in the early years of the NBA, and rules were changed in an attempt to handcuff him. When he played college ball at DePaul the goaltending rule was instituted because of Mikan, who was able to jump up and swat away any shots headed for the basket.
The NBA doubled the width of the free throw lane and because of the slowdown tactics used against him, which resulted in the lowest-scoring game in league history when his Lakers lost in 1950 by the score of 19-18 to the Fort Wayne Pistons, the NBA eventually instituted the 24-second shot clock.
Mikan scored 11,764 points (22.6 ppg) in nine pro seasons, which was the best in league history when he retired. He led the league in scoring six times (1946-1952), including a career-high 28.4 ppg in 1951. He led the league in rebounding in 1952 and '53. Annually, he was one of the league leaders in free throw attempts (4,597 for his career). Mikan always wore his trademark round-rimmed eyeglasses while playing.
Mikan and the Lakers won 6 league championships (one NBL, one BAA and four NBA) during his playing days. He retired after the 1953-1954 season, but returned briefly in the 1955-1956 season. He also coached the team in 1957-1958. In later years, Mikan was the first commissioner of the American Basketball Association; he introduced both the 3-point line and the league's trademark red, white and blue basketball.
Mikan was the Babe Ruth of the NBA and befitting such a pioneer of one of the most popular team sports in America, Mikan's passing was honored by the nation. The president of the United States noted his achievements, the NBA suspended games, and the Lakers announced that they would fly their flag at half-staff to commemorate the passing of their early superstar.
Ha! Just kidding! Mikan was a white player from the days of the NBA before the arrival, in large numbers, of black players, so Mikan's death was largely ignored. The days of the NBA before there were many black players is widely regarded as an era when only "inferior" white athletes played the game so why give any credit to Mikan?
Mikan's passing did get some attention by the newsmedia, only because a black superstar, Shaquille O'Neal, had the decency to mention it. Shaquille O'Neal and his team's playoff performance provide a stark contrast to the type of basketball played in the days of Mikan. Back then basketball was a smooth, fast, entertaining game of back and forth scoring with players passing and shooting in a patterned rhythm. Today basketball at the NBA level is a poorly organized scrum with players crashing into each other and putting up desperation heaves. All in search of a shoe contract.
Mikan was recently involved in trying to get pension money for players that played before 1965. Apparently the NBA in its collective bargaining agreement has different standards of pension money for those who played pre-1965 (mostly white) and those that came after (largely black). It is doubtful that today's nearly all-black players union has much sympathy for white players that played so long ago.
Contrast that to Major League Baseball, which was brow-beaten into giving out money to players from the Negro Leagues, which were actually in competition with the Major Leagues at the time and should have set up its own plan. The plan for Negro League veterans, created in 1997, granted a lifetime benefit of $10,000 a year ($833.33 a month) to players with a combined four years of service in Major League Baseball or the Negro Leagues prior to 1947, when Jackie Robinson integrated baseball. Not only that they later decided to give money to any player that played in at least ONE game in the Negro leagues after 1947.
Mikan had been very ill recently. His right leg was amputated below the knee in 2000. He underwent kidney dialysis three times a week for the past five years. In addition to his wife, whom he met when both were students at DePaul, Mikan is survived by his sons Larry, Terry, Patrick and Michael; daughters Trisha and Maureen, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
"We were in hiatus a long time, the old-timers," Mikan once said. "They forgot about us. They don't go back to our NBA days." At Caste Football we remember the "Gentle Giant" George Mikan.
Forgotten Hero
George Mikan died last week. He was a genuine American hero, one of the first superstars in professional basketball. Certainly he was the first "big man" with dominating offensive skills. He begat a long line of dominant centers that popularized the game.
Mikan was born in Joliet, Illinois to Croatian parents, and played college basketball at DePaul University (1941-45) under coach Ray Meyer. He began playing professional basketball with the Chicago Gears of the National Basketball League, leading them to the NBL title in 1947. When that team folded, he signed with the Minneapolis Lakers, which joined the NBA in 1948. Mikan was one of the most dominant players in the early years of the NBA, and rules were changed in an attempt to handcuff him. When he played college ball at DePaul the goaltending rule was instituted because of Mikan, who was able to jump up and swat away any shots headed for the basket.
The NBA doubled the width of the free throw lane and because of the slowdown tactics used against him, which resulted in the lowest-scoring game in league history when his Lakers lost in 1950 by the score of 19-18 to the Fort Wayne Pistons, the NBA eventually instituted the 24-second shot clock.
Mikan scored 11,764 points (22.6 ppg) in nine pro seasons, which was the best in league history when he retired. He led the league in scoring six times (1946-1952), including a career-high 28.4 ppg in 1951. He led the league in rebounding in 1952 and '53. Annually, he was one of the league leaders in free throw attempts (4,597 for his career). Mikan always wore his trademark round-rimmed eyeglasses while playing.
Mikan and the Lakers won 6 league championships (one NBL, one BAA and four NBA) during his playing days. He retired after the 1953-1954 season, but returned briefly in the 1955-1956 season. He also coached the team in 1957-1958. In later years, Mikan was the first commissioner of the American Basketball Association; he introduced both the 3-point line and the league's trademark red, white and blue basketball.
Mikan was the Babe Ruth of the NBA and befitting such a pioneer of one of the most popular team sports in America, Mikan's passing was honored by the nation. The president of the United States noted his achievements, the NBA suspended games, and the Lakers announced that they would fly their flag at half-staff to commemorate the passing of their early superstar.
Ha! Just kidding! Mikan was a white player from the days of the NBA before the arrival, in large numbers, of black players, so Mikan's death was largely ignored. The days of the NBA before there were many black players is widely regarded as an era when only "inferior" white athletes played the game so why give any credit to Mikan?
Mikan's passing did get some attention by the newsmedia, only because a black superstar, Shaquille O'Neal, had the decency to mention it. Shaquille O'Neal and his team's playoff performance provide a stark contrast to the type of basketball played in the days of Mikan. Back then basketball was a smooth, fast, entertaining game of back and forth scoring with players passing and shooting in a patterned rhythm. Today basketball at the NBA level is a poorly organized scrum with players crashing into each other and putting up desperation heaves. All in search of a shoe contract.
Mikan was recently involved in trying to get pension money for players that played before 1965. Apparently the NBA in its collective bargaining agreement has different standards of pension money for those who played pre-1965 (mostly white) and those that came after (largely black). It is doubtful that today's nearly all-black players union has much sympathy for white players that played so long ago.
Contrast that to Major League Baseball, which was brow-beaten into giving out money to players from the Negro Leagues, which were actually in competition with the Major Leagues at the time and should have set up its own plan. The plan for Negro League veterans, created in 1997, granted a lifetime benefit of $10,000 a year ($833.33 a month) to players with a combined four years of service in Major League Baseball or the Negro Leagues prior to 1947, when Jackie Robinson integrated baseball. Not only that they later decided to give money to any player that played in at least ONE game in the Negro leagues after 1947.
Mikan had been very ill recently. His right leg was amputated below the knee in 2000. He underwent kidney dialysis three times a week for the past five years. In addition to his wife, whom he met when both were students at DePaul, Mikan is survived by his sons Larry, Terry, Patrick and Michael; daughters Trisha and Maureen, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
"We were in hiatus a long time, the old-timers," Mikan once said. "They forgot about us. They don't go back to our NBA days." At Caste Football we remember the "Gentle Giant" George Mikan.
