Shaq Shows Class with Mikan Offer

There’s something about the Los Angeles Lakers and dominant centers. Recently, it was Shaquille O’Neal. Before him, there was Kareem Abdul Jabbar. And he was preceded by the greatest of all, Wilt Chamberlain. But each of these giants stood on the shoulders of George Mikan. Last week, as the Mikan family tried to arrange for the burial of the NBA’s first great, big man, Mr. O’Neal stepped in to help out with the bills. It was a gesture notable because it shouldn’t be notable. The modern generation of players owes its athletic forefathers, not economically, but morally. Shaq gets it.

George Mikan today wouldn’t be a center necessarily. At 6’ 10” he just wasn’t quite tall enough. But in 1949, when he came to New York with the Minneapolis Lakers (before the team left the land of lakes), the marquee read, “Geo. Mikan vs. the Knicks.” He led Minneapolis to 5 NBA titles in the first six years of the team’s existence – an untouchable record for an expansion team. The only way to stop him was to slow the game down. In 1950, the Lakers lost a game to Fort Wayne 19-18, thanks to the go-slow strategy. Professional basketball responded with the 24-second shot clock, which saved the business of basketball.

From his rivals, the tributes are powerful in their sincerity. Bob Cousy, the great Boston Celtic, said, Mikan "literally carried the league, He gave us recognition and acceptance when we were at the bottom of the totem pole in professional sports. He transcended the game. People came to see him as much as they came to see the game." The Celtics’ Red Auerbach, who coached against him said "He was one of the greatest players of all time. He was the first player to really be an imposing and intimidating figure on the court."

From Mr. O’Neal, it was simpler, “Without No. 99 [Mikan’s old number], there is no me.” Or from 2004 MVP Kevin Garnett, "When I think about George Mikan, I skip all the Wilt Chamberlains and Kareem Abdul-Jabbars and I call him the 'The Original Big Man. Without George Mikan, there would be no up-and-unders, no jump hooks, and there would be no label of the big man."

Mr. Mikan, who passed away just 18 days shy of 81, played before the millions of dollars found the players’ pockets. Most professional athletes even in the 1950s had jobs in the off-season. His bank account, had he played today, would probably run to 8 if not 9 digits, but instead, his family is just getting by.

So, after leading the Miami Heat to a play-off win over Detroit, Mr. O’Neal said in a post-game interview, "I heard they were having some trouble, some problems, so if you contact the Heat office, I would like to pay for the funeral.” Avoiding false pride, the family accepted. As Roald Dahl wrote, “So shines a good deed in a weary world.”


© Copyright 2005 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.
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