Vintage NBA: George Mikan

[SHAQisGOAT]

Mikan was huge.... what do you mean small shoulders/etc?

245lbs as a scrawny ass rookie... the guy was 280lbs by the 1950's and never touched a set of weights... 6-10 is likely his actual height too as he basically played in the barnstorming 40's and 50's, not some BS inflated height era caused by marketing and competition. He's a wide bodied 7 footer through and through with a very visibly wide frame. His body and natural athleticism isn't very vertical but his shoulders look wide and strong AF...

You know how big Wilt is, he towered over young Shaq... well here's Lakers 300+ lbs Wilt standing next to old man Mikan on the right:


Wilt's shoulders look narrow compared to Mikans. Mikan had the raw physical tools to be a dominant center... it wasn't a coincidence that he was a dominant center in his own era. There were other 7 footers he went up against, they didn't have his massive frame (or competitive fire), thus he was the Shaq of his time. (btw that's Bob Kurland on the right)

Plus, he looked pretty mobile with some decent moves, soft touch around the rim with a sweet hook-shot and a solid turnaround jumper from close. Also seemed like a tough dude, capable of rebounding and playing defense. And he could shoot like 78% from ft.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

Goat

[jongib369]

Plus, he looked pretty mobile with some decent moves, soft touch around the rim with a sweet hook-shot and a solid turnaround jumper from close. Also seemed like a tough dude, capable of rebounding and playing defense. And he could shoot like 78% from ft.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/...mikange01.html

Great free throw shooter also....But his FG% is pretty damn low considering how narrow the lane was then and where he'd normally set himself up

[jongib369]

Babe Ruth signs ball for 10 year old Gorge Mikan

[jongib369]

Plus, he looked pretty mobile with some decent moves, soft touch around the rim with a sweet hook-shot and a solid turnaround jumper from close. Also seemed like a tough dude, capable of rebounding and playing defense. And he could shoot like 78% from ft.

If you haven't seen this guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAuQLyeB9mM










At the same time, Chamberlain was often paying a physical toll, getting slapped, elbowed, poked, pulled and scratched himself.
"The things I saw guys to do him was unbelievable," said teammate Al Attles. "Clyde Lovellette hit him with that elbow that drove Wilt's lower teeth up into his jaw and put him the hospital and caused an infection. That was the worst of it, but he was always being beat up and abused."


"BOSTON (AP) - San Francisco's Wilt Chamberlain floored Boston's Clyde
Lovellette with a punch in the nose Monday night, but the Celtics floored the
Warriors 124-101 and took a two game lead in the final National Basketball
Association Playoffs.
THe Lovellette-Chamberlain incident, at the foul line in the fourth period,
touched off a near riot.
...
The fourth period squabble came about when the officials called Lovellette for
fouling Chamberlain. The two big pivot men had words and some scuffling ensued.
Then, Wilt turned his kayo punch loose, knocking Lovellette to this knees.
Blood streamed from the big Boston center's nose.
Both benches emptied onot the floor and police were called in to help restore
order.
Auerbach seemed the most incensed of all. Russell had a difficult time pulling
his coach off the court and back to the bench.
The only action taken was the upholdig of the foul against Lovellette. Nobody
was thrown out and Chamberlain calmly dropped in the free throw."

[Dro]

If you haven't seen this guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAuQLyeB9mM










At the same time, Chamberlain was often paying a physical toll, getting slapped, elbowed, poked, pulled and scratched himself.
"The things I saw guys to do him was unbelievable," said teammate Al Attles. "Clyde Lovellette hit him with that elbow that drove Wilt's lower teeth up into his jaw and put him the hospital and caused an infection. That was the worst of it, but he was always being beat up and abused."


"BOSTON (AP) - San Francisco's Wilt Chamberlain floored Boston's Clyde
Lovellette with a punch in the nose Monday night, but the Celtics floored the
Warriors 124-101 and took a two game lead in the final National Basketball
Association Playoffs.
THe Lovellette-Chamberlain incident, at the foul line in the fourth period,
touched off a near riot.
...
The fourth period squabble came about when the officials called Lovellette for
fouling Chamberlain. The two big pivot men had words and some scuffling ensued.
Then, Wilt turned his kayo punch loose, knocking Lovellette to this knees.
Blood streamed from the big Boston center's nose.
Both benches emptied onot the floor and police were called in to help restore
order.
Auerbach seemed the most incensed of all. Russell had a difficult time pulling
his coach off the court and back to the bench.
The only action taken was the upholdig of the foul against Lovellette. Nobody
was thrown out and Chamberlain calmly dropped in the free throw."

[jongib369]

It's been awhile since I've seen the numbers, but I looked at about 3-4 seasons he played against Russell or Chamberlain that was some of his highest scoring seasons and he averaged 20+ against them....With his FG% not being affected much. He wasn't a slouch, and in some ways he looks even more refined than Mikan

http://www.basketball-reference.com/...lovelcl01.html

[bdreason]

Honestly with his dominance and resume he deserves a spot on the top 10 GOAT list. Maybe as high as 4th all-time.

[HoopsFanNumero1]

Looks like my librarian

[jongib369]

Looks like my librarian

[jongib369]

http://www.mmbolding.com/basketball/Globetrotters.htm

"In the Trotters' locker room before the game, Abe gave a brief pep talk, then turned the floor over to player coach Babe Pressley, who laid out the game plan. The Globetrotters realized that there was no way Goose could handle Mikan one-on-one, as he was giving up seven inches and fifty pounds, so other players were going to have to sag on the Lakers' center, double-teaming him whenever he got the ball. Additionally, Pressley told them not to hesitate to foul Mikan hard and often. There was no "one-and-one" rule at that time, so a non-shooting foul drew only one shot.

The game plan, which had sounded plausible in the dressing room, fell apart completely when the game began. Mikan was stronger and quicker than the Trotters had expected, and he was simply overwhelming Goose"

[SHAQisGOAT]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/...mikange01.html

Great free throw shooter also....But his FG% is pretty damn low considering how narrow the lane was then and where he'd normally set himself up

Yea that's also true. He was once 5th and once 3rd in the league in FG% though, while being 1st in points, but his competition wasn't strong like what came around after him.

[swagga]

lmao this thread is fuggin senile. he was great in the 50s but today he dead meat.

one dude puttin a crazy picture with people at different distances, ages, weights, different clothes types,etc ... half the 7 footers would look broader than wilt, you look at a playing time picture of course. But what can you expect from cavaliersftw?

others talking about skill, could he pull those moves against nba level athleticism? shit if those are his best clips because it's obvious that was what they was putting on tape those days that's some depressing shit.

Fluidity and athleticism??? compared to the other white boys back then maybe?

@ aaron gray talk : maybe he could play in the nba the aaron gray role ... aaron gray is 2 inches taller though. that's not saying much tbh.

Let me give you fools some pictures of this guy, maybe we ain't talkin about the same person:

dem muscles doe


dem arms, daaaam son he could put wilt on his ass anytime


dem wide shoulders doe. Dwight level forreal. dat vision too

[swagga]

NBA level physique.


strong arms for boxing out.


****** ripped doe

[LALakerFan4Life]

One of the great Lakers of all time. Give it up for the old school!