Mr. Basketball
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Mr. Basketball
1
Posts
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Followers
The first real big man in the NBA!
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Major Career Highlights
5× NBA Champion (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954)
2× NBL Champion (1947, 1948) before the NBA formed
3× NBA Scoring Champion (1949–1951)
6× All-NBA First Team (1949–1954)
4× NBA All-Star (1951–1954)
NBA All-Star Game MVP (1953)
NBA 75th Anniversary Team
NBA 25th, 35th, and 50th Anniversary Teams
Statistical Highlights
Career averages:
▸ 23.1 points per game
▸ 13.4 rebounds per game (rebounds only recorded after 1950)
Led the league in rebounding in 1953
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Legacy
First truly dominant big man in pro basketball history
Helped shape the NBA, leading to rule changes like:
Goaltending rule
Widening of the lane (“The Mikan Rule”) to reduce his dominance
Instrumental in the success of the Minneapolis Lakers, the NBA’s first dynasty
Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1959, charter class)
First president of the ABA, helping launch the rival league to the NBA