Almost forgotten in today's media saturation is the first mega-star of the NBA. George Mikan would be scoffed at today when athletic 7-footers abound on every corner, but he revolutionized the game of basketball and made the big man relevant. True basketball fans know who he was, but since his playing career ended about the time I was born, there is not much film footage of his playing.
Mikan was born in Joliet, Illinois to a Croatian father and a Lithuanian mother. As a boy, he shattered one of his knees so badly that he was kept in bed for a year and a half. When he entered DePaul University, he was an awkward 6-10 boy who wore thick glasses because of his near-sightedness. Legendary coach Ray Meyer taught Mikan to shoot hook shots with either hand - long before Lew Alcindor did it.
Mikan married his girlfriend in 1947, and they remained together for 58 years until his death. They had six children. Mikan was what he appeared to be - a "gentle giant" who was tough and relentless on the court, but friendly and amicable in private life. He suffered from diabetes, and in his later years his right leg was amputated below the knee.
Shaquille O'Neal paid for Mikan's funeral, saying, "Without Number 99 (Mikan), there is no me."
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