I must admit that I barely ever heard of George Mikan, dubbed “Mr. Basketball” for his pioneering play and dominance, until his card came up for auction. But now I’ll have a hard time forgetting him. His 1948 Bowman rookie card— the only specimen ever graded a PSA 10 gem mint— will probably reach $.5 million in an auction that closes on December 5th. “This particular card sold for $218,500 in 2009 and we certainly anticipate that will double that price this time out,” says Terry Melia of SCP Auctions, in Laguna Niguel, California. “It’s basketball’s equivalent of the Honus Wagner T206 baseball card.” As of this posting, the card is up to $129,690 at www.scpauctions.com.