Jim Pollard's stats

Forward, #17

Coached one season

• Born July 9, 1922
• Attended Stanford
• Coached by John Kundla

A member of the original Minneapolis Lakers, he played eight seasons with the team, from 1948-55, and was considered one of the best forwards of that era.

He played alongside George Mikan and Vern Mikkelsen, winning five championships while averaging double figures each season. Pollard had a career average of 13.1 points a game, and was a four-time All-Star (1951-55).

At 6-foot-5, he was known as the "Kangaroo Kid" for his leaping abilities and was said to be able to dunk from the free-throw line. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in 1978. Pollard died in 1993 at age 70, and was survived by his wife and three children.