Seppo Kuusela facts for kids
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| Point guard / Shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 February 1934 Helsinki, Finland |
| Nationality | Finnish |
| Died | 16 October 2014 (aged 80) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Career history | |
| 1952–1963 | Pantterit |
| 1963–1969 | Tapion Honka |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As basketball player:
As basketball coach:
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Seppo Kuusela (born February 25, 1934 – died October 16, 2014) was a famous Finnish basketball player and basketball coach. He also played handball. Seppo was 182 centimeters (about 6 feet) tall. When he played basketball, he was a point guard or a shooting guard. Sports journalists in Finland chose him as the Finnish Basketball Player of the Year two times, in 1959 and 1960.
Contents
Playing for Basketball Clubs
Seppo Kuusela played in Finland's best basketball league, called the SM-sarja. He won many championships with his teams during his career. He played for the team Pantterit from 1952 to 1963. After that, he joined Tapion Honka and played there until 1969.
Playing for the Finnish National Team
Besides playing for clubs, Seppo Kuusela also played for the senior Finnish national basketball team. He represented Finland in five big European basketball tournaments, known as EuroBasket. These were in 1955, 1957, 1959, 1961, and 1963.
Amazing Awards and Trophies
Seppo Kuusela won many awards and trophies during his time as a player and a coach.
Basketball Player Achievements
- Finnish League Champion: He won the top Finnish basketball league an amazing nine times! These wins were in 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1968, and 1969.
- Finnish League Runner-up: His team also came in second place in 1967.
- Finnish League 3rd Place: They finished third in 1973.
- Finnish Player of the Year: He was named the best player in Finland twice, in 1959 and 1960.
- Finnish League Top Scorer: Seppo was the player who scored the most points in the league in 1960 and 1961.
- Finnish Basketball Cup Winner: His team won the Finnish Cup in 1968.
Handball Player Achievements
- Finnish Handball Championship Champion: Seppo also won two national championships in handball, in 1953 and 1955.
Basketball Coach Achievements
- Finnish League Champion: As a coach, Seppo led his team to win the Finnish League championship three times in a row: 1970, 1971, and 1972.
Other Special Honors
- Finnish Basketball Hall of Fame: Seppo Kuusela was added to the Finnish Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019, which is a very high honor for a player.
Sources
- Seppo Kuusela Finnish Basketball Association
- National Team Stats Finnish Basketball Association
