George Mikan Trading Card

George Mikan was one of the pioneers of professional basketball. He was a big name in the early days of the NBA and was as well-known in his day as Shaquille O'Neal or Kobe Bryant are in today's modern game. Mikan's 1948 rookie card is considered a valuable commodity, which is why dealers often look to make better trades in an attempt to acquire one.

Mikan starred for the Minnesota Lakers, before the team moved to the West Coast. He was considered the Joe Dimaggio of professional basketball for his dominance of the sport. He was elected as one of the sport's 50 greatest players in 1996. The basketball card being sought by better trades was produced by Bowman and shows Mikan, wearing a white uniform, dribbling the ball. The card is extremely rare and recently fetched a price tag of $2,000.

Mikan was the largest player in the league in those days at 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds. He wore a pair of goggles when he played and had a knack for shooting and rebounding that was uncommon in those early days. His hook shot, effective with either hand, was almost unstoppable. Mikan was so dominant that the NBA changed its rules, widening the lane from six to 12 feet and hastening the arrival of the shot clock.

Mikan began his career with the Chicago American Gears, and then joined the Lakers when the new league was formed in 1949. He retired in 1956 having won seven professional championships. He scored 10,156 points and grabbed 4,167 rebounds. He was voted the greatest player of the First Half Century in 1950 and was named to the 25th NBA Anniversary team in 1970 and the 35th NBA Anniversary team in 1980.

After leaving the NBA, Mikan ran for U.S. Congress, but lost by a small margin. He became coach of the Lakers, but had no success. Afterwards he focused on his law career and invested heavily in real estate. Mikan was the first commissioner of the American Basketball Association, added a red, white and blue basketball to the game, and instituted a 3-point line.

Mikan also fought a long legal battle with the NBA and the NBA Players Union in an effort to get better pensions for players who finished their careers prior to the era of big money.