GEORGE MIKAN'S #99 MINNEAPOLIS LAKERS 5-TIME NBA CHAMPIONS 14K GOLD RING - ONLY ONE EVER ISSUED (MIKAN FAMILY & DAVID STERN LOA'S)

When it came to basketball, the late George Mikan was a true pioneer of the sport. A 6’10” center who starred at DePaul University before going pro with the Minneapolis Lakers, Mikan was the NBA’s first dominant big man. In fact, due to his size and unique skill set, the NBA was forced to rewrite some of its rules with the introduction of goaltending, a wider foul lane, and the shot clock. A three-time scoring champ, Mikan led the Lakers to five titles in six years from 1949 to ’54. To honor Mikan’s impact on the game, a “Celebration at Center Court” was held in his honor on April 8, 2001, at the Target Center in Minneapolis. A private reception was held prior to the start of the Timberwolves-Lakers game, with many of his former Minneapolis Lakers teammates, and a special ceremony took place at halftime in which a life-sized bronze statue of Mikan was unveiled. (It now stands in the front lobby of the Target Center.)

That same day, Mikan was presented with this beautiful, 14-karat gold ring commemorating his five NBA titles. A 1-of-1 made exclusively for Mikan, the ring sports a large “99” (his uniform number) comprised of small diamonds on the face sitting atop a black onyx stone. Raised lettering surrounds the face reads “WORLD CHAMPIONS GEORGE MIKAN” and includes a pair of tiny basketballs within the design. The right shank reads “49-50-52” to acknowledge the Lakers first three titles, positioned above the official NBA logo. The left shank includes “MPLS” at the top above a basketball with the Minnesota state outline inside, followed by “LAKERS” and “53-54” to reflect Mikan’s last two titles with the Lakers. The size 11.5 ring exhibits light wear and is hallmarked “14K” on the interior band. Includes a personal letter dated 4/12/2001 from Commissioner David Stern regarding the ring and ceremony, plus Mikan’s Target Center suite ticket for the 4/8/11 game and center court celebration program. LOA from Mikan's son.