By Brandon Zhu
On this day in 1952, the NBA’s first superstar George Mikan scored a career high 61 points leading the Minneapolis Lakers to a 91-81 double-overtime victory over the Rochester Royals. Mikan stood at 6’10 and was known for his prolific rebounding, shot blocking abilities, and his ambidextrous hook shot. Mikan won five NBA championships with the Lakers and averaged 23.1 points, 2.8 assists, and 13.4 blocks in his career with the team. Mikan was named as one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in 1996 and his other accolades include NBA rebounding leader 1953, 3x NBA scoring champion, 6x NBA First Team, and 4x NBA All-Star. Mikan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959 and his no. 99 was honored by the Lakers.