2. George Mikan
George Mikan was the original big man, and was the first dominate player the Lakers had. “Mikan meant the most to the franchise, because he was basketball’s first marquee big man,” said Chris Clark of SilverScreenandRoll. “[Mikan] started the Lakers on their winning ways.”
Mikan was an original Laker, he played for the franchise when they were located in Minneapolis. He had a relatively short NBA career, as he only played for seven years. During those years, Mikan averaged 23.1 ppg and 13.4 rbg. His stats in the playoffs were even better, as Mikan averaged 24 points and a little under 14 rebounds per game. “Mr. Basketball,” as Mikan was called, led the Lakers to five championships from 1949-1950 and then winning three straight from 1952-1954.
Mikan was the most dominant player during his time, but compared to players in the 80s and 90s, Mikan’s stats were not that impressive. Being six foot ten during his era was a pretty big thing, but nowadays players are seven foot or taller. Mikan is considered one of the best because he was the first, the pioneer to Laker basketball. His championship success foreshadowed the future success of the Lakers.
Next: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar