George Mikan's playing career with DePaul University, the Chicago American Gears and the Minneapolis Lakers from 1942 through 1954 left him minus only a few honors that went with being a giant of basketball.
George Mikan's retired No. 99 will connect Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers, and the Mikans themselves
Two dozen members of the Mikan family will be there Sunday when George Mikan's jersey is retired, finally, by the Lakers franchise he helped launch.
October 26, 2022 at 11:10PM
Mikan was named the Helms Foundation's College Player of the Year in 1944 and 1945. He led DePaul to the NIT championship in 1945, when the New York City event was more prestigious than the NCAA tournament.
He won seven titles in his eight full pro seasons: the National Basketball League with the American Gears in 1947 and the Lakers in 1948, and then what are recognized now as NBA titles with the Lakers in 1949, 1950, 1952, 1953 and 1954.
The one missing in 1951 occurred when Mikan suffered a fractured leg before the Western Division finals against the archrival Rochester (N.Y.) Royals.
Mikan's importance was such the Lakers attempted to have him play with a massive tape job on the leg. He couldn't move and the Royals won the series, 3-1.
On Wednesday, Bud Grant, a Lakers' teammate and a football man of note, revisited his enormous praise for Mikan.
"Who was the greatest player I've ever been with in any sport? George Mikan,'' Grant said. "Why? He was not a gifted athlete, but his heart was bigger than anyone.
"He is the greatest competitor I've ever been around. Mikan and Jim Marshall are the top two.''
That heart and the famous Mikan hook shot led to continual honors: He was voted as the Greatest Player of the First Half Century of the sport in 1950. He was among the first four players inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959.
The Timberwolves chose to embrace Minnesota's NBA history by unveiling a bronze statue of Mikan in the lobby of Target Center in April 2001.
"Deservedly, my father has been given his due as an all-time great, as the player who really started it all for the NBA,'' said Larry Mikan, the oldest of four sons, on Wednesday. "There isn't a basketball award on this planet that he has not received.''
So what was left?
"Just one thing,'' said Michael Mikan, the youngest of those four sons. "When we were at the banner-raising ceremony at Staples Center in 2002, Dad looked up at the Lakers' retired jerseys and said, 'I'd sure like to be up there with those guys.' "
The event in 2002 was the Lakers finally deciding to offer a public display of the five NBA titles won by the franchise in its 13 seasons in Minneapolis.
The L.A. Lakers brought back the living Hall of Famers from those teams — Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen, Slater Martin and coach John Kundla — and a few others for the ceremony.
Mikan's health was in decline because of aggressive diabetes by then. Michael had become a caretaker for George and wife Pat in the Phoenix area.
"I started mentioning the idea of retiring George's number to the Lakers right then, I'd say,'' Michael said. "Jeanie Buss [current Lakers controlling owner] always treated the old Lakers great, but they had other players to honor.''
George Mikan died on June 1, 2005, at age 80. The Lakers have retired several numbers since then, including both of Kobe Bryant's — No. 8 and 24 — in 2017, before the fatal 2020 helicopter crash.
Pau Gasol's No. 16 will become the 12th jersey to hang in the rafters in March.
The time for a Mikan jersey retirement definitely had come. The Lakers announced before this season that this would happen for Mikan's No. 99.
That will occur on Sunday night in the same building (now called Crypto.com Arena rather than Staples).
"One of Dad's last wishes was to see the family all together,'' Michael said Wednesday. "It won't be all of us, but there will be 24 — sons, daughters, spouses, companions, grandkids.''
Patrick, another son living in Southern California as is Larry, said: "No denying, we've had some issues within the family. Michael took charge of this, contacting everyone, coordinating with the Lakers, and he's done a great job.''
The Lakers are picking up airfare, putting the Mikans in the adjacent J.W. Marriott for three days, and providing a couple of SUVs. ("We're going to the beach Saturday,'' Michael said.)
There are also a dozen seats near the court to go with a suite.
"Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis, who works on things like this, have been wonderful to us,'' Michael said. "It will be a great night for the Mikans to see this dream of Dad's fulfilled by the Lakers.''
Maybe two dreams: the jersey and the well-attended family reunion.
After trailing from the first basket to the final 69 ticks, the Timberwolves defeated a Phoenix team that lacked key players but had Devin Booker, who scored 44 points.
