John Kundla facts for kids
Kundla in 2014
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 3, 1916 Star Junction, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | July 23, 2017 (aged 101) Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| High school | Central (Minneapolis, Minnesota) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Minnesota (1936–1939) |
| Coaching career | 1946–1968 |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| 1946–1947 | St. Thomas |
| 1947–1959 | Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1959–1968 | Minnesota |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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John Albert Kundla (born July 3, 1916 – died July 23, 2017) was a famous American basketball coach. He coached both college and professional teams. He is best known as the first head coach for the Minneapolis Lakers. This team was part of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its earlier leagues.
Kundla led the Lakers for 12 seasons, from 1947 to 1959. His teams won six league championships. One was in the NBL, one in the BAA, and four in the NBA. He also coached college basketball. He spent one season at the University of St. Thomas (1946–47). Later, he coached the University of Minnesota for ten seasons (1959–1968). John Kundla was honored by being added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. He also joined the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
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Early Life and School Years
John Kundla was born in a mining town called Star Junction, Pennsylvania. His parents were from a place that is now Slovakia. When he was five years old, his family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. He went to Central High School in Minneapolis.
After high school, Kundla went to the University of Minnesota. He was a great basketball player for the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the late 1930s.
Coaching Journey
After finishing college, Kundla became an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota. Then, he coached high school basketball at DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis.
The World War II started, and Kundla joined the Navy. He served on special ships called LSTs in both Europe and the Pacific. After the war, he became the coach for the College of St. Thomas in 1946.
Coaching the Minneapolis Lakers (1947–1959)
After coaching at St. Thomas for one season, John Kundla received an offer. The new professional team in town, the Minneapolis Lakers, wanted him to be their coach. At first, Kundla wasn't sure about coaching professional basketball. But the Lakers offered him twice his college salary, so he took the job at age 31.
Kundla and the Lakers quickly became very successful. A month into the 1947–48 season, a future Hall of Fame player named George Mikan became available. The Lakers quickly signed Mikan. Kundla led the team, with Mikan and star player Jim Pollard, to win the 1948 NBL championship. The next year, they joined the BAA (which later became the NBA). They defeated the Washington Capitals to win the 1949 BAA Finals.
After the BAA became the NBA in 1949, Kundla's Lakers won five NBA championships in six years. The only year they didn't win was 1951. That year, Mikan broke his ankle, and the Lakers lost in the playoffs. But with Mikan healthy again, the Lakers won three championships in a row! They won in 1952, 1953, and 1954. This was called a "three-peat."
Many amazing players were on Kundla's Lakers teams. These included George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Slater Martin, Vern Mikkelsen, Clyde Lovellette, and Elgin Baylor.
In 1957, Kundla briefly moved to a front office job with the Lakers. But the team wasn't doing well. So, he returned to coaching the team. In his final season (1958-1959), Kundla led the Lakers to the 1959 NBA Finals. They had a new star player, Elgin Baylor. Even though they had a losing record, they made it to the finals. However, they lost to the Boston Celtics, led by Bill Russell and Bob Cousy.
Overall, Kundla coached the Minneapolis Lakers for 11 seasons. He had a record of 423 wins and 302 losses. He won one BAA Championship and four NBA Championships.
Coaching the Minnesota Golden Gophers (1959–1968)
In 1959, Kundla knew the Lakers team would move to Los Angeles. Even though he had star player Elgin Baylor, he decided to stay in Minnesota. He resigned from the Lakers to coach his old college team, the University of Minnesota.
While coaching the Gophers, he also taught physical education at the university. He was the first Gophers coach to give scholarships to African-American players. This was a big step, but it also caused him to receive some hate mail. Kundla coached the Gophers for nine years. He retired from coaching after the 1967–68 season. His record with the Gophers was 110 wins and 105 losses. His teams never reached the postseason.
After retiring from coaching, Kundla continued to be a physical education professor until 1981.
Awards and Recognition
In 1996, John Kundla was chosen as one of the 10 greatest coaches in NBA history.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. He was also inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
After the Los Angeles Lakers won their championship in 2002, Kundla received a championship ring. This was given to him and other living Minneapolis Lakers players at a special event.
Personal Life
John Kundla met his wife, Marie, when they were in college. They had six children together.
Even after he stopped coaching the Lakers, he stayed good friends with his former players, like George Mikan and Vern Mikkelsen. They often met for breakfast.
Kundla's grandsons, Isaiah Dahlman and Noah Dahlman, also became college basketball players. His wife passed away in 2007. The next year, he moved into an assisted living home in Minneapolis. He continued to watch and follow NBA games.
John Kundla turned 100 years old in July 2016. He passed away on July 23, 2017, just twenty days after his 101st birthday.
Images for kids
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1950 NBA Champion Minneapolis Lakers
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George Mikan, Minneapolis Lakers, 1948
See also
In Spanish: John Kundla para niños
