Jim Pollard

Jim Pollard was a famous early NBA star, and later a Hall Of Famer. The 6' 6 Californian was also arguably the first slam-dunk star of the pro game. Dubbed ' The Kangaroo Kid ' years before Bill Cunningham, Pollard starred at Stanford and was named All-American in the mid-1940s. Turning pro, he played for the Oakland Bittners in California's early pro league. Later, he signed with the NBL Minneapolis Lakers. Teamming with George Mikan and Vern Mikkelsen, Pollard was part of part basketball's first dynasty. Fans came early to see the Lakers play because Pollard, who had a 40-inch vertical, would slam dunk during warmups. Dunking in games then usually resulted in retaliation beat-downs, so players seldom dunked in the 1950s. Pollard retired with Mikan in 1955 and returned to California. He later coached in both the ABL and ABA.