George Mikan George Lawrence Mikan, Jr. (Joliet, Illinois, June 18, 1924 – Scottsdale, Arizona, June 1, 2005) was an American basketball player who excelled in the ’50s playing for 7 seasons in the NBA , all in the ranks of the Minneapolis Lakers and one more in the NBL, the Chicago American Gears. Playing always with thick round glasses, this player of 2.08 meters high and 111 kilos is considered the first superstar of American professional league, redefining the game of so-called big men with his ambidextrous hook launching a product of their own training technique. He was nicknamed “Mr. Basketball”. Mikan had a successful playing career, winning seven NBA championships, the BAA and the NBA, an NBA All-Star Game, three scoring titles and played in the championship four times All-Star Game and was voted 6 times in the NBA League.He was so dominant that caused the change of several rules, including the expansion of the “personal zone” (known as the “Mikan Rule”) and the introduction of 24-second clock. Following his career, Mikan became one of the founders of the American Basketball Association (ABA), to be commissioner of this league, and was also vital to the birth of the franchise of the Minnesota Timberwolves. In his later years, was involved in a court battle against the NBA fighting for pensions for retired players when the league was not as lucrative as today. He died after a long battle against diabetes. For his feats, Mikan was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959, was part of teams of 25 and 35 anniversary of the NBA and the 50 best players of history the NBA elected in 1996. Since April 2001, a statue of him throwing his hook traditional chairs the lobby of Target Center in Minnesota.