The pioneering professional basketball career of George Lawrence Mikan, Jr., nicknamed “Mr. Basketball”, was spent with the Chicago American Gears of the NBL and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the BAA and the NBA. Playing with thick, round spectacles, the 6'10", 245 lbs. Mikan redefined his sport as a game of so-called big men with his prolific rebounding, shot blocking and his talent to shoot over smaller defenders with his ambidextrous hook shot. An indomitable force, whose game was ahead of it’s time, Mikan won seven NBL, BAA and NBA championships, an All-Star MVP trophy, three scoring titles and was a member of the first four NBA All-Star and the first six All-BAA and All-NBA Teams. Mikan’s level of dominance forced several rule changes in the NBA, among them widening the foul lane - known as the "Mikan Rule" - and introducing the shot clock. After his player career, Mikan became one of the founding fathers of the ABA, and was also vital for the forming of the Minnesota Timberwolves. In his later years, Mikan fought a long-standing legal battle against the NBA, fighting against the meager pensions for players who had retired before the league became lucrative. Mikan, who paved the way for the multi-million dollar contracts enjoyed by today’s NBA stars, tragically became a martyr of his own cause when he died in poverty after a long-standing battle against diabetes. For his feats, Mikan was declared "Greatest Basketballer in the First Half-Century" by the The Associated Press in 1950, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959, made the 25th and 35th NBA Anniversary Teams of 1970 and 1980 and was elected one of the NBA 50 Greatest Players in 1996.
Despite his historical stature as “The Babe Ruth of Basketball” few career contemporary card issues exist for George Mikan. Of those, his 1948 Bowman rookie card stands not only as the key to that landmark issue, but is generally considered the King of Basketball cards, and moreover, one of the most revered cornerstones in the card collecting hobby. The offered card is the one and only GEM MINT 10 George Mikan 1948 Bowman rookie card graded by PSA with four examples having been graded Mint 9. In PSA’s company history, they have reviewed over 8,500 total 1948 Bowman basketball cards which has produced only 12 GEM MINT cards including this extraordinary Mikan rookie. Those figure make us secure in our belief that we’ll not likely see another Mikan rookie graded 10 in our lifetime. A monumental and incomparably meaningful collectible, it goes without saying that this card will stand the test of time as one of the hobby’s greatest treasures.