George Mikan Changes the Rulebook
1944 to 1951. Goaltending is banned and the lane is doubled
George Mikan stood 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) and played at DePaul University, where coach Ray Meyer worked on his footwork every day. Before Mikan, nobody worried about a defender knocking shots away as they dropped toward the basket. It was thought to be physically impossible.
Mikan made it possible, and the NCAA responded. From the 1944 to 1945 season, touching the ball after it had started its downward flight toward the basket was goaltending: the basket counted for the shooting team. The rule was written because of Mikan.
As a pro, Mikan won five titles with the Minneapolis Lakers between 1949 and 1954 and led his league in scoring six years in a row. So in 1951 the NBA widened the free-throw lane from 1.83 m (6 ft) to 3.66 m (12 ft), to push him farther from the basket. Fans called it the Mikan Rule.
What changed
Big men could no longer guard the rim from above or camp right next to it. They had to win with footwork, positioning and touch from farther out. The Mikan Drill, alternating layups with each hand, is still one of the first drills young players learn.
In the Dictionary: Goaltending, Layup