George Mikan (1924-2005)
George Mikan (1924-2005)​
Installed: Aug 2018
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The names of George Mikan, Ray Meyer, and DePaul basketball, have to be said in the same breath. The two men define DePaul basketball national glory from 1945. George was the instrument of Ray’s basketball inventiveness. As Coach Ray was the head coach at 28 yrs. old, when he met Mikan in 1942.
George was considered huge by anyone’s standards, 6’10”, 245 lbs. But he was not at all graceful. Coach Ray changed that. Thanks to Coach Ray, Mikan changed the thinking in basketball stereotype for all big men. Through Coach Ray’s workouts, Mikan jumped rope, danced, punched the speed bag, and spent time with many other exercises, like the well known ‘Mikan Drill”. All of this made Mikan into a fierce competitor, and an All American in 1944 and ’45.
Mikan’s DePaul team, won the NIT tournament in 1945, when it was more prestigious than the NCAA tourney. George Mikan went on to play to play professional basketball in what was known as the ABL, which merged with the BAA, to become the present day NBA. Nicknamed ‘Mr. Basketball’, Mikan was voted as ‘the best basketball player of the first half of the 20thCentury’. It can be argued that Mikan is responsible for many of the rule changes that make up the contemporary game of basketball today. Rules against goaltending, and lane violations go back to Mikan’s dominance on the court. And when Mikan was the 1stcommissioner of the American Basketball Association (in the early seventies), he was responsible for introducing the 3 pt. shot.
Both George Mikan and Coach Ray are members of the National Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield MA.
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Inspiration/Background:
Historical yearbook photos used on the pillar itself or found in research leading to the creation of the composition, the '99' on the back. Red pictures are from Mikan's days after DePaul:
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Red photos for NBA player and Commissioner of the ABA
1) Commissioner Mikan of the American Basketball Assoc.
2) Mikan at Madison Sq. Garden
3) As a Laker
4) NBA Hall of Fame
Blue for his DePaul days
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1) Mikan 1945 All American
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2) Mikan in action (rebounding) 1945
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3) Blue Demons w/ 1946 NIT trophy
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4) B-ball team from 1943
