User:Sturlast/Fúsíjama Basketball Club International
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Fúsíjama Basketball Club International is a Icelandic team based in Hnífsdalur, Iceland. The team was founded on 15. oktober 1999 and is named after the highest mountain in Japan, Mount Fuji.
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[edit] Name
Due to regulation by the Icelandic Athlete Federation regarding foreign names, the team could not compete in official games using the Fúsíjama name. Instead Fúsíjama went by the name Reynir Hnífsdal in all official games. It was however mostly refered by the Fúsíjama name in the media [1] [2] [3] [4] and by the Icelandic Basketball Federation (KKÍ) [5].
[edit] Team history
Fúsíjama was founded on oktober 15. 1999. It first participated in a official competition when it entered the Meiradeildin in the 2000-2001 season where it finished third. In 2001-2002 Fúsíjama along with two other teams from the Meiradeildin, UMF Bolungarvík and KFÍ Kempurnar left to participate in the Icelandic 2.division. Fúsíjama started the season horribly, losing its first six games, including two heartbreaking defeats to the hands of its arch-nemesis UMF Bolungarvík. The teams luck changed sligtly after christmas when it won two of its first four games. It did however lose its final two games but snooke into the 2.divisional playoffs after UMF Bolungarvík lost its final game on the final day of the season. Missing their top scorer, Haukur Davíð Jónasson, Fúsíjama started the playoffs [6] with two distrastous blowouts, including a 153-37 rout at the hands of the way superiour Fjölnir who went on to win the 2.division championship. (Fjölnir had played in the premium division the year before as the other half of the united Valur/Fjölnir team. The team split after the season, with Valur going to the 1.division and Fjölnir to the 2.division). Even though their best effort came against Skotfélag Akureyrar they where still way off as the final score of 68-124 suggests. They did however finish the game with Pétur Þór Birgisson´s hail-mary three pointer from the opposite foul line which recieved a standing ovation from the crowd. They played their final game, which was for the 7-8th place finish, without their playoff-leading scorer, Trausti Már Grétarsson, and lost 39-106 [7] against Grundafjörður.
After the playoffs, Guðni Þór Sigurjónsson resigned as head coach and retired as a player. Ágúst Ívar Vilhjálmsson was hired as a player-coach and faced a difficult challenge as the teams roster chanced considerably during the offseason. Gone were Guðni, Three point specialist Halldór Pálmi Bjarkason (points, team leading $$ three pointers,) appeared in three games. Joining the squad where rookies Birgir Árni Birgisson (SF), Sverrir Örn Rafnsson (PG), Óskar Gíslason (C), Davíð Benjamínsson (PG), Heiðar Þór Kristjánsson (SG), Páll Pálsson (SG) and Sölvi Guðjónsson (SF). Rebounding machine Halldór Gunnar Pálsson (nicknamed "The vacumer" by his former coach for his tendacy to "suck" down reabounds) also joined the squad from KFÍ but the most supprising arrival was the defect of center Jakob Einar Úlfarsson and forward Sturla Stígsson from the arch-nemesis in UMF Bolungarvík over to the Fúsíjama side. The new arrivals did not transform into wins though as most of the rookies where to inexperinenced to make an impact and the veteran arrivals where no renown for their scoring. The team did manage to be competitive for the most part through out the first half of the season, including a comfortable 46-62 win over UMF Bolungarvík [8], but the departure of veterans Stefán Þór Ólafsson and Trausti Már Grétarsson spelled doom for the second half of the season as Fúsíjama got blown out of four of its last six games. The most bitter loss was a 68-66 defeat at the hands of UMF Bolungarvík where Fúsíjama blew a 12 point lead in a late fourth quarter meltdown. [9]
Although head Coach Ágúst Ívar left the club during the offseason, the teams fortunes slowly started to change for the better. The team signed guard Jón Ólafur Gunnarsson (13,2 points during the 2002-03 season) and forward Helgi Dan Stefánsson (8,0 points) from KFÍ and got veterans Stefán Þór Ólafsson and Trausti Már Grétarsson back. Sturla Stígsson was named interm-coach, as the team looked for a permanent solution, but the team performed well in two pre-season tournaments, earning a 3-4th place finish in the Höfrungur Mid-summer Tournament and 1st place finish in UMFB´s Speed Tournament. But the pre-season success and the new addons did not seem to effect the teams performance on the divisional standings as the team promtly lost its first five games. In middle of november 2004, Fúsíjama´s fortunes changed. The team signed 6'6 (200 cm) and 287 pound (130 kg) center Þórarinn Ólafsson as the teams player-coach. His defence-first philisophy changed the teams play for the better. Fúsíjama´s first game undir his command was a hard fought, meat grinding 51-55 [10] victory over rivals UMF Bolungarvík. That was the first victory in Fúsíjama´s four game winning-streak that launched the team back into playoff contention. Its most impressive win came againgst longtime foe and eventual group winners, KFÍ Kempurnar, where Stefán Þór Ólafsson hit a franchise record nine threepointers on his way to 33 points in a 83-78 win.[11] But a fourth quarter meltdown in a later game against the KFÍ Kempurnar[12] and a hearthbreaking loss[13] to KFÍ-b (KFÍ´s U-20 squad) cost the team a place in the 2.division national playoffs. The final game of the season was a comfortable 80-74 victory over Hörður Patreksfirði, who had already secured their place in the playoffs.
Fúsíjama lost Stefán Þór Ólafsson again during the offseason but aquired hothead Haraldur Jón Jóhannesson from KFÍ to replace him. KFÍ started the 2004-05 season with three victories in the first four games, including a tough 72-70 victory over Hörður Patreksfirði, a game that almost ended with a brawl. Fúsíjama´s play faded after the hot start and the team finished a modest 7-5 for a third place in the stands. The team also featured a reserve squad in the 2.divisional group, Fúsíjama-b (Reynir Hnífsdal B), wich finished the season 1-11 for a last place finish. Its only victory came early in the season againgst UMF Bolungarvík but its best performance was most likely its suprising comback from a 25-4 first quarter hole to a 52-59 lead at the end of third quarter in a game againgst KFÍ Kempurnar. They did, however, loose the game 77-75.
[edit] Season-by-season records
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Win-Loss %
| Season | W | L | % | Playoffs | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | 3 | 5 | .375 | Finished 3rd in Meiradeildin. | |
| 2001-02 | 2 | 10 | .167 | Finished 3rd in 2.division group A5. Went 0-4 in the 2.divisional playoffs and finished in 8th place. | |
| 2002-03 | 1 | 11 | .091 | Finished 5th in 2.division group A5. | |
| 2003-04 | 5 | 7 | .417 | Finished 4th in 2.division group A4. | |
| 2004-05 | 7 | 5 | .583 | Finished 3rd in 2.divion group A4. | |
| Totals | 18 | 38 | .321 | ||
| Playoffs | 0 | 4 | .000 | ||
[edit] Rivalry with UMF Bolungarvík
Fúsíjama and UMF Bolungarvík have had a bitter rivalry throughout the years.
[edit] Current roster
| Fúsíjama Basketball Club International Current Roster |
||||
| Head Coach: Þórarinn Ólafsson | ||||
| G/F | 34 |  |
Sturla Stígsson | (UMFB, KFÍ, Fúsíjama) |
| C | 24 | |
Jakob Einar Úlfarsson-Captain | (UMFB, Fúsíjama) |
| G | 17 | |
Þorsteinn Másson | (KFÍ, Fúsíjama) |
| G | 43 | |
Guðni | (KFÍ, Fúsíjama) |
| G/F | 6 | |
Kjartan Davíðsson | (Fúsíjama) |
| PF/C | 5 | |
Snorri Hinriksson | (KFÍ, Fúsíjama) |
| SF | 2 | |
Helgi Dan Stefánsson | (KFÍ, Fúsíjama) |
| SF | 31 | |
Birgir Árni Birgisson | (KFÍ, Fúsíjama) |
[edit] Logo and uniforms
The Lakers' home uniforms are unique in the fact that they are the only team in the NBA to not wear white normally at home. However, since the 2002-03 season the team has worn white jerseys on Sunday and holiday home games. The white jerseys were designed by Lakers owner Jerry Buss' daughter Jeannie Buss, in tribute to Chick Hearn, who was regarded as the voice of the team for forty years until his death in August 2003.
[edit] Franchise leaders
- Points
- Career: Stefán Þór Ólafsson, 25,192
- Career average: Elgin Baylor, 27.36
- Single season records
- Points: Kobe Bryant, 2,832
- Points per game: Elgin Baylor, 38.3
- Single game records
- Points: Haraldur Jón Jóhannesson, 50
[edit] Players of note
Fúsíjama Hall of Famers Fúsíjama´s has it own hall of fame which is called Tshagu.
- Ágúst Ívar Vilhjálmsson 2001-2005
- Tómas Michael Reynisson 1999-2000
- Kristinn Steinar Vilbergsson 1999-2000
- Þórólfur Sveinn Sveinsson 1999-2000
- Kristján Sveinsson 2000-2001
- Snorri Salvarsson 1999-2001
- Valur Norðdahl 1999-2000
- Trausti Már Grétarsson 1999-2004
- Halldór Pálmi Bjarkason 1999-2003
- Stefán Þór Ólafsson 1999-2004
- Guðni Þór Sigurjónsson 1999-2002
[edit] Other notable players
- Gabríel Antonio Mikaelsson - Nicknamed "The best"
- Haraldur Jón Jóhannesson - 2004-05 team MVP
- Jón Ólafur Gunnarsson - 2003-04 team co-MVP
- Sverrir Örn Rafnsson - 2002-03 team MVP
- Ágúst Ívar Vilhjálmsson - Hiroshima II and Nagasaki III
- Haukur Davíð Jónasson
- Helgi Dan Stefánsson
- Birgir Árni Birgisson
- Sturla Stígsson - Tokyo III
- Jakob Einar Úlfarsson - Nagasaki III
- Óskar Gíslason
- Þórarinn Ólafsson - Hiroshima III
[edit] Notable Head Coaches and others
- Ágúst Ívar Vilhjálmsson (head coach 2002-2003, team captain 2004-2005, assistant coach 2004-2005; Fúsíjama Hall of Famer)
- Guðni Þór Sigurjónsson (head coach 1999-2002; Fúsíjama Hall of Famer)
- Halldór Pálmi Bjarkason (team president 1999-2002; Fúsíjama Hall of Famer)
- Jakob Einar Úlfarsson (team captain 2005-)
- Kolbeinn Einarsson (team president 2002-2003)
- Sturla Stígsson (team president 2003-; interm coach during the 2003-2004 pre-season in which Fúsíjama´s first trophy was won, assistant coach 2003-)
- Þórarinn Ólafsson (coach 2003-)
[edit] General information
- Founded: 1999 by Guðni Þór Sigurjónsson and Halldór Pálmi Bjarkason.
- Home Arena: Ísjakinn (The Iceberg)
- Uniform colors: Black, White and Red
- Logo design: A volcano with the letters "FÚSÍJAMA"
- The team president is called Tokyo
- The coach is called Hiroshima
- The team captain is called Nagasaki
[edit] Miscellaneous information
- Fúsíjama´s highest scoring game, and its first game ever, was a loss to the Súðavík City Angels on january 22, 2000. The final score was 162-152.
- Twice in Fúsíjama´s history has one of its player scored 50 points. On january 27, 2000, Trausti Már Grétarsson scored 50 points in Fúsíjama´s 108-100 win over KFÍ Kempurnar. That was the teams first ever victory. Then on march 17, 2005, Haraldur Jón Jóhannesson scored 50 points in a 105-114 loss to KFÍ Kempurnar in an Icelandic second divisional game.
