George Mikan was a walking history of early professional basketball. He started with the Chicago American Gears in 1946-47 in the National Basketball League, then competed in the Basketball Association of America the following year.
In 1949, the two leagues merged to create the NBA and Mikan became the first great big man in the league’s history.
The league passed two rules specifically because of Mikan: the lane was widened and after a stall-ball game that ended 19-18, the 24 second clock.
He won five NBA championships and he was as good a person to ask this question of as anyone: who would he pick to win one game - Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar?