Jānis Krūmiņš facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jānis Krūmiņš

Jānis Krūmiņš at the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Personal information
Born	(1930-01-30)30 January 1930 Raiskums Parish, Latvia
Nationality	Latvian
Died	20 November 1994(1994-11-20) (aged 64) Riga, Latvia
Listed height	2.20 m (7 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Listed weight	141 kg (311 lb)
Career information
Pro career	1954–1969
Career history
1954–1964	Rīgas ASK
1964–1969	VEF Rīga
Career highlights and awards
3× EuroLeague champion (1958–1960) 3× EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer (1958–1960) 4× USSR Premier League champion (1955–1958)
Medals Representing the  Soviet Union Olympic Games Silver 1956 Melbourne Silver 1960 Rome Silver 1964 Tokyo EuroBasket Gold 1959 Turkey Gold 1961 Yugoslavia Gold 1963 Poland

Jānis Krūmiņš (born January 30, 1930 – died November 20, 1994) was a famous Latvian professional basketball player. He played for the Soviet Union national team. Jānis was incredibly tall, standing at about 220 centimeters (7 feet 3 inches). This made him one of the first really tall players to dominate basketball in Europe.

He won many awards during his career. With the Soviet national team, he earned three gold medals at the EuroBasket championships in 1959, 1961, and 1963. He also won three silver medals at the Summer Olympic Games in 1956, 1960, and 1964. People in Russia even voted him the third most popular Soviet men's basketball player ever in 2006.

Early Life and His Big Height

Jānis Krūmiņš was born on January 30, 1930, in a place called Raiskums Parish in Latvia. His father was a very strong man, but he passed away when Jānis was just a boy. By age 13, Jānis had to start working to help his family. He collected tree resin, which is a sticky liquid from trees.

He was very good at this job. By the time he was 14, he was already 2 meters (6 feet 7 inches) tall! This height helped him reach places others couldn't. Jānis liked his work and wasn't sure about becoming a basketball player. He worried he might get hurt and lose his job.

Because he was so tall and strong, many sports coaches noticed him. They tried to get him to join sports like wrestling, boxing, and track and field. But Jānis wasn't very interested in these sports.

How Jānis Started Basketball

In 1953, a famous basketball coach named Alexander Gomelsky discovered Jānis. Gomelsky brought him to the basketball club Rīgas ASK. The coach wanted to make ASK the best team in Latvia. He needed a strong player for the center position.

Jānis had never played basketball before. But Gomelsky believed he had great potential. The coach spent up to two hours training Jānis personally before each team practice. Gomelsky later said Jānis was his only true student. All his other players were already good before he coached them.

Jānis was very strong and had good coordination. But he was also quite slow. His height was amazing for that time, usually around 2.18 m (7'2") to 2.23 m (7'4"). He weighed about 141 kg (312 pounds) and was described as "well built."

A Persistent Player

Jānis wasn't a naturally gifted player, but he was incredibly determined. He always did all the drills his coach asked him to do. Coach Gomelsky said Jānis's best quality was his calm and reliable nature. However, Jānis was also very shy.

Opponents often tried to bother him during games. They would step on his toes or push him. Jānis would patiently take it. When asked why he didn't fight back, he said he was afraid he might accidentally hurt someone badly.

Later, when Jānis became a star, his shyness caused another problem. People on the street would recognize him and cheer. They would try to touch him, which made him feel uncomfortable. So, he stopped using public transportation and started driving a car instead.

His height also made it hard to find clothes and shoes that fit. Luckily, a high-ranking military officer, Soviet Marshal Hovhannes Bagramyan, noticed Jānis. The Marshal was a big man himself and liked tall athletes. After meeting Jānis, he ordered a special 3-meter-long (9'10") bed to be built for him. He also arranged for custom shoes and clothes to be made.

Winning Club Championships

All the hard work Jānis and Coach Gomelsky put in paid off. Jānis quickly became a smart center and a key player for Rīgas ASK. He helped his team win the USSR Premier League championship four times: in 1955, 1956, 1957, and 1958.

He also led his team to win the FIBA European Champions Cup (now known as the EuroLeague) three times in a row: in 1958, 1959, and 1960. He even played in the EuroLeague Finals in 1961. Jānis finished his club career playing for VEF Rīga.

Jānis remained a relaxed player throughout his career. He often held back against smaller opponents. But in important games, he played with full effort, especially against players who were similar in size to him. Jānis had a unique way of shooting free throws. He shot them underhanded, which is unusual, but he still made about 90% of his shots!

Playing for His Country

Jānis Krūmiņš joined the senior USSR national basketball team in 1955. He was a very important center for the Soviet Union. At the 1956 Summer Olympics, he helped the team reach the finals and win a silver medal.

He played for the Soviet national team for about 10 years. During this time, he won three gold medals at the EuroBasket championships in 1959, 1961, and 1963. He also won three silver medals at the Summer Olympic Games in 1956, 1960, and 1964. He also played in the 1959 FIBA World Championship.

Life After Basketball

Jānis was a shy person, even around women. He met his wife, Inessa, by chance. In 1960, Inessa was a sculptor. She was asked to create a sculpture of Jānis for a special event.

Jānis and Inessa had two sons and a daughter. After he stopped playing basketball, Jānis worked in his family's business. He became a well-known metalworker. He would shape metal art based on drawings made by his wife. Jānis Krūmiņš passed away on November 20, 1994, when he was 64 years old.