George Mikan

George Lawrence Mikan Jr. (June 18, 1924 – June 1, 2005), nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player. He was born in Joliet, Illinois and studied at DePaul University. He was 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m). From 1947 and 1954 and again in 1956, he played for the Minneapolis Lakers. He also coached the team from 1957 to 1958. 
In 1959, he was honored in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 
Mikan died in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 1, 2005 from diabetes-related problems, aged 80.