VERN MIKKELSEN
Game 76 | April 16, 1959 | Vern Mikkelsen, Bob Short
Long-timer Dunker Mikkelsen ended his Minneapolis Lakers career in 1959. The NBA's original power forward, he played in 798 of the 800 games in which he suited up. Short, a very successful local hotel and business owner; told Dunkers that the Lakers' future in Minneapolis was in jeopardy unless they could find a permanent place to play. A year later, the team became the Los Angeles Lakers. Bob Short was a Dunker from 1962-1965.
Game 472 | February 21, 1995 | Vern Mikkelsen, John Kundla
It had been 44 years since Kundla first appeared at Dunkers and 36 years since Mikkelesen had made his first appearance. Surviving members of the Minneapolis Lakers gathered to celebrate the success of the team that dominated professional basketball in the 1950s with Mikkelsen at power forward and Kundla as the coach. Mikkelsen has been a Dunker since 1963.
Game 512 | May 13, 1997 | George Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen
It had been 47 years since Mikan had made his first Dunkers appearance, along with Jim Pollard, at the Dunkers seventh meeting. Mikkelsen, a Dunker since 1963, had been inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 1995. Mikan was honored at the 1997 All-Star Game as one of the 50 greatest players in the first 50 years of the NBA.
