Mikan family accepts Shaq offer
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=750 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class="" vAlign=top width=560><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD height=7><SPACER height="1" width="1" type="block"></TD></TR><TR><TD class=yspsctnhdln>Shaq says arrangements are made for Mikan's funeral expenses</TD></TR><TR><TD height=7><SPACER height="1" width="1" type="block"></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>
June 3, 2005
MIAMI (AP) -- The family of George Mikan accepted
Shaquille O'Neal's offer to pay for the late center's funeral expenses.
O'Neal said arrangements were finalized Friday. ``Everything's going to be handled,'' O'Neal said.
Mikan, the NBA's first dominant big man, died Wednesday night at a rehabilitation center in Scottsdale, Ariz., following a long fight with diabetes and kidney ailments. He was 80.
<TABLE cellPadding=1 align=left border=0 hspace="10" vspace="5"><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle>
http://us.ard.yahoo.com/SIG=129rl1a...php?o=US1445&cmp=Yahoo_ntwk&ctv=chalk-300x250</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if (window.yzq_a == null) document.write("<scr" + "ipt type=text/javascript src=""http://us.js1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/lib/bc/bc_1.7.0.js></scr" + "ipt>");</SCRIPT><SCRIPT type=text/javascript>if (window.yzq_a){yzq_a('p', 'P=pcdbsdhtfvFe7.m7QBbVvAmzRCgQzUKhquoAC3rj&T=1418j9tb8%2fX%3d1117891306%2fE%3d95861899%2fR%3dsports%2fK%3d5%2fV%3d1.1%2fW%3ddefault%2fY%3dYAHOO%2fF%3d3212694337%2fS%3d1%2fJ%3d58776DD8');yzq_a('a', '&U=1395ef8ll%2fN%3dWhQHEtibyhY-%2fC%3d343086.6224643.7307904.1414694%2fD%3dLREC%2fB%3d2682033');}</SCRIPT><NOSCRIPT>
</NOSCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>O'Neal said he greatly enjoyed getting to know and speak with Mikan on several occasions. Shortly after the Heat beat Detroit 88-76 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday night, O'Neal said he would like to handle the funeral costs. ``I heard they were having some trouble, some problems, so if you contact the Heat office, I would like to pay for the funeral,'' O'Neal said. O'Neal and Mikan are linked by leading the Lakers franchise to multiple NBA championships; Mikan carried the Minneapolis Lakers to five titles in a six-year span. O'Neal led the
Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive championships from 2000-2002.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>