<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The last time George Mikan was in the Twin Cities, he wore a big smile. That was in 2001, when he attended a Timberwolves game against the Los Angeles Lakers. At halftime, the Wolves unveiled a life-size bronze statue of Mikan. He told the crowd on hand at Target Center that day, behind that never-ending smile, "This is the best weekend myself and my family will never, ever forget." Sunday at Target Center, several hundred people gathered at the entrance where the statue stands to celebrate the life of the late Minneapolis Lakers center during a public memorial service. Mikan was 80 when he died June 1 in Scottsdale, Ariz., after a long fight with diabetes and kidney disease. Some wore shirts and hats embroidered with "M.P.L.S." as a tribute to the man who was the NBA's first superstar. "He is to basketball what Babe Ruth is to baseball," John Kundla, Mikan's Lakers coach, told the crowd. Mikan won five NBA championships in the first six years of the Lakers' history. At 6 feet 10, he dominated the game, inspiring generations of youngsters to take up basketball. Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal sent a message that was read at the service. It stated, in part: "I will always be thankful of him for paving the way... . Mr. Mikan, you will always be 'The Big Original.' May you rest in peace." Former Lakers teammates Bud Grant and Vern Mikkelsen were among those in attendance, along with a half-dozen other Lakers teammates and former Los Angeles Lakers coach Bill Sharman, who played against Mikan. But Sunday's memorial service was more about Mikan the friend and father than the basketball player.</div> Source
