The Los Angeles Lakers have a history of big men unlike any other in the NBA. The likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are constantly brought up, but the first great big in Lakers, and NBA history, was George Mikan.
On June 18, 1924, the legendary Mikan, the NBA’s first superstar, was born in Joliet, Illinois. Mikan joined the then-Minneapolis Lakers in 1947 as part of the NBL.
That year he would lead the league in scoring, win MVP, and lead the Lakers to the NBL Championship. The following year the Lakers would join the Basketball Association of America.