Los Angeles Lakers: 50 Greatest Players in Lakers History (Updated 2023)
By Ed Schrenzel
Greatest Lakers of all time: 19- Vern Mikkelsen
- 10 seasons, 699 games, 4 titles
- 14.4 PPG
- 9.4 RPG
The burly “oldie but goodie” was known as the league’s first true power forward. Few fans are familiar with Vern, and even fewer have ever seen in action. He played for the Minneapolis Lakers during their heyday when they won 4 of their 5 titles in the early 1950s.
At 6-7, 230, Mikkelsen was tough and strong, and was known for his outstanding, aggressive defense, and typically guarded the opposition’s best player. He was a 6-time all-star (at a time when there were only 10 teams in the league) and was ultimately voted into the Hall of Fame.
He was an excellent complement to his frontcourt teammates Pollard and Mikan. For the Lakers, he is 11th in RPG, 24th in PPG, 12th in career points and 11th in games played.