Dead Celebrity Alert

George Mikan, the “gentle giant” who a half-century ago brought fame and stability to the fledgling world of professional basketball and literally transformed the game, has died 18 days shy of his 81st birthday.

Mikan died Wednesday night at a Scottsdale rehabilitation center following a long fight with diabetes and kidney ailments. His right leg was amputated below the knee in 2000, and he had undergone kidney dialysis treatment three times a week for five years, his son Terry said.

A superstar decades before the term existed, Mikan was the first big man to dominate the sport. No one before had seen a 6-foot-10 player with his agility, competitiveness and skill.

When the Minneapolis Lakers came to New York in December, 1949, the marquee at Madison Square Garden read “Geo. Mikan vs. the Knicks.” …

Timberwolves star and 2004 MVP Kevin Garnett knew of Mikan, though. “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,’” Garnett said. “Without George Mikan, there would be no up-and-unders, no jump hooks, and there would be no label of the big man.” … Read full obituary

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