The Los Angeles Lakers have officially immortalized the late great George Mikan to their pantheon of historic record books.
Prior to their Sunday matchup with the Denver Nuggets, the Lakers have raised the iconic No. 99 of Mikan up to their rafters. Mikan becomes the 11th player to have his jersey retired by the franchise and the first one who didn’t play in Los Angeles.
Mikan’s sons, Patrick and Mike, took the microphone to speak and honor him during the ceremony. Several Laker greats were also in attendance including Pau Gasol, whose No. 16 jersey will be retired on March 7 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
A basketball pioneer, Mikan revolutionized the sport and the center position, paving the way for next generations with his towering size, immense skill set and professionalism. He is responsible for leading the then-Minneapolis Lakers to five championships (1949, 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954) and early league prominence.
At the age of 80, Mikan passed away on June 1, 2005 due to diabetes and other complications.
