John Kundla

John Albert Kundla (born July 3, 1916 born in Star Junction, PA) is a former college and professional basketball coach.

Contents

Career

Playing and early coaching careers

After attending and playing baseketball for Minneapolis Central High School in Minneapolis (which closed in 1982), Kundla was a standout for the Minnesota Gophers basketball team in the late 1930s.[1] Following graduation, he stayed on at the university as an assistant coach to Dave MacMillan. He would then move to the high school ranks as the head coach of DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, MN. After two years there, the United States entered World War II and Kundla joined the Navy, where he was assigned to LST (Landing Ship, Tanks) units in both the European and Pacific theaters. After the war, he was hired to coach the College of St. Thomas.

Minneapolis Lakers

Following the Tommies' 1946-47 season, the infant Minneapolis Lakers would extend an offer to Kundla to coach the team, then playing in the National Basketball League. However, Kundla turned the offer down as he was not impressed with the professional ranks. Team representatives returned, and this time the offer had been upped to $6,000 (twice his St. Thomas salary) and Kundla took the job.[2]

Kundla and the Lakers would be immediately successful when a month into the 1947-48 season, future Hall of Fame center George Mikan became available when his old team the Chicago American Gears folded. Outhustling the rest of the NBL and the teams of the rival Basketball Association of America (BAA - the official predecessor of the NBA), the Lakers signed Mikan and the rest is history. Kundla then guided the George Mikan-led Lakers, which also included star Jim Pollard, to the 1948 NBL title.[3] Moving to the BAA for the 1948-49 season, which became the NBA in 1949-50, Kundla's Lakers would win five NBA titles in six years, with 1951 being the only gap in the team's run - a season in which Mikan would break his ankle at the end of the season, thus allowing the Rochester Royals to defeat the Lakers in the Western Conference championship series 4 games to 3.

In 1959, knowing that the Lakers team was eventually going to be moved to Los Angeles (after being purchased by Bob Short, the team moved in 1960) and despite having rookie sensation and future Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor on the team, Kundla chose to stay in Minnesota and quit the Lakers position to coach his alma mater, the University of Minnesota.[4] He would stay with the Gophers for nine years before retiring from coaching.

Kundla was voted as one of the 10 greatest coaches in the history of the NBA. In 11 years of coaching in the BAA/NBA, he would leave with a record of 423-302 in the regular season and 60-35 in the playoffs. Kundla's 1947-48 NBL championship season team went 43-17 during the regular season with 14 more wins in the post-season, but does not count under official NBA records. Kundla was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.

Personal

Kundla is the grandfather of current Michigan State Spartans basketball player Isaiah Dahlman and current Wofford Terrier basketball player, and 2009-10 Southern Conference Player of the Year, Noah Dahlman. He currently resides in the Main Street Lodge Assisted Living Home in Minneapolis and continues to watch and follow the NBA.[5][6]

Coaching record

Legend
Regular season G Games coached W Games won L Games lost W–L% Win-loss %
Post season PG Games coached PW Games won PL Games lost PW–L% Win-loss %

References

  1. ^ http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/kundljo99c.html
  2. ^ http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/117210198.html
  3. ^ http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/117210198.html
  4. ^ http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/117210198.html
  5. ^ http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_17439520?nclick_check=1
  6. ^ http://www.nba.com/2010/news/features/steve_aschburner/12/28/q-and-a-john-kundla/index.html

External links