DePaul University Athletics
Hall of Fame & Jersey Retirements
- Induction:
- 1976
Nicknamed “Mr. Basketball”, George Mikan played for the Blue Demons from 1942-46 under coach Ray Meyer. Mikan was one of the most prolific big men of his day, standing at 6'10" he helped lead the Blue Demons to the 1945 NIT Championship title. Mikan was the 1945 NIT Most Valuable Player where he averaged 40 points per game across three games. His 53 points in a 97-53 win over Rhode Island remain a program record for most points scored in a single-game.
Almost 80 years later, Mikan's legacy remains at DePaul with his name all over the record books. He remains among the top-10 in the following categories: single-season scoring average, career points, career scoring average, career blocks and career games with 30 or more points.
Mikan was the Helms National College Player of the Year in 1944 and 1945 and is the only three-time All-American in program history. He led the nation in scoring in back-to-back seasons with 23.9 points per game in 1944-45 and 23.1 points per game in 1945-46.
His No. 99 became the first number to be retired at DePaul and remains one of only two retired numbers, along with Mark Aguirre's No. 24, in program history.
Mikan cemented himself in basketball history as he went on to an outstanding professional career in the BAA and the NBA. Mikan won a total of seven NBL, BAA and NBA Championships across nine seasons, in addition to three scoring titles. He played in the first four NBA All-Star games and was a member of the first six All-BAA and All-NBA Teams. Mikan's dominance prompted several significant rule changes in the NBA, including the introduction of the goaltending rule, the widening of the foul lane and the creation of the shot clock.
Through nine seasons in the professional game, Mikan tallied 11,764 career points for a 22.6 per game average.
After his playing career, Mikan became one of the founders of the American Basketball Association (ABA), serving as commissioner of the league. Mikan was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959 and was also named to the 25th, 35th, 50th and 75th NBA anniversary teams. Mikan's No. 99 was posthumously retired by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022.
