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Los Angeles Lakers: 10 Greatest centers in Lakers history

By Ed Schrenzel

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 06: Los Angeles Lakers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal share a laugh with Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor during the unveiling ceremony for a bronze statue to honor Baylor in Star Plaza at Staples Center on April 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 06: Los Angeles Lakers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal share a laugh with Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor during the unveiling ceremony for a bronze statue to honor Baylor in Star Plaza at Staples Center on April 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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Photo by © Minnesota Historical Society/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images /

No. 3: George Mikan

“Mikan the Magnificent” was the first NBA superstar. He dominated the league in its infancy in the early 1950’s, leading the Minneapolis Lakers to five titles in six years, including three straight from 1952-54.

At 6-foot-10 inches and 240 pounds, the bespectacled Mikan dwarfed most of his opponents and overpowered them in the paint. Because of his inside preeminence, the league widened the lane and established a goaltending rule.

Big George was known for his hook shot, which he shot equally effectively both right and left-handed. More than 60 years later, young big men are still taught the “Mikan drill”, shooting underneath the basket with either hand.

He led the league in scoring three times, averaging over 25 points per game in each of those seasons. Fouling him did the opponents little good as Mikan shot a strong 78.6 percent from the free-throw line, where he mastered the underhanded shot.

Surprisingly, his field goal percentage was poor by today’s standards as he shot only a tad over 40 percent. But it was a different era when shooters were not nearly as refined as they are today, and his percentage was respectable for the times.

His career was relatively short. He played just six years with Minneapolis, retired and then came back with them for one final season in 1955-56. Over the course of his seven Lakers seasons, he averaged 23.1 points (fifth on the all-time Lakers list) and 13.4 rebounds per game (which rank second on the Lakers, although rebounds were not an officially-maintained statistic for his first 2 years).

His averages rose slightly in the postseason. Had there been a Finals MVP award in his time, it is possible he would have won the award 5 times.

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