Vern Mikkelsen
#283766 Most Popular
About
Six-time All-Star and four-time Second Team All-Pro basketball player, known as one of the NBA's first 'power forwards.'
Before Fame
He attended Hamline University after receiving a basketball scholarship at 16. He later obtained a master's degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota.
Trivia
He was mostly known for his strong defense and was inducted into the NAIA Basketball Hall of Fame in 1956. After retirement, he became a coach and general manager for the Minnesota Pipers.
Family Life
He was born in Parlier, California, and when he was 6 months old, his parents moved him and his sister to Askov, Minnesota. He has two sons named Tom and John, whom he shares with his late wife Jean, who died in 2002.
Associated With
He, Slater Martin, and George Mikan contributed to four championships for the Minneapolis Lakers, which today is known as the Los Angeles Lakers.
