Basketball Hall of Famer George Mikan dies

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) The first dominant big man of basketball has died. Basketball Hall of Famer George Mikan (MY&#39;-kuhn), who led the Minneapolis Lakers to five N-B-A championships, was 80.<br> <br> Family members say he died last night. He&#39;d been suffering from diabetes and kidney failure, and had had a leg amputated several years ago.<br> <br> The six-ten Mikan, who played at DePaul, was the reason that college basketball adopted the goaltending rule.<br> <br> Mikan&#39;s Lakers won five of the first six N-B-A titles after the league was formed in 1948, and he was the league M-V-P that first season. He played in Minneapolis for seven seasons, averaging just over 23 points a game before retiring because of injuries in 1956.<br> <br> There&#39;s a statue in his honor outside the Target Center in Minneapolis.<br> <br> (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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