Bobby McDermott: Speaking of George Mikan, 1946

[While clicking around for something completely unrelated to basketball, I stumbled onto this sideline interview with Bobby McDermott, the pro game’s premier sharpshooter of the 1930s and 1940s. Subject: George Mikan. What follows is his very brief, but heartfelt, belief in Mikan as the greatest pivotman of all-time. Obviously, McDermott couldn’t have envisioned a Shaq, an Embiid, or a Wemby. Or, for that matter, a Russell, a Chamberlain, or an Alcindor. That shouldn’t invalidate McDermott’s praise. Mikan made the most of this talent and, in doing so, advanced pivot play in preparation for a Russell, a Chamberlain, an Alcindor, a Shaq, an Embiid, and even a Wemby. Greatness should be judged by one’s contribution to the game and its evolution, not a subjective comparison of athletic attributes in 2026. In any case, McDermott’s sideline interview was relayed by the fastidious Elliot Cushing in his regular column Sports Eye View. This column ran on March 16, 1948 in the Rochester (N.Y.)…