John Kundla, a Hall of Fame coach who led the Minneapolis Lakers to
five NBA championships before the franchise moved to Los Angeles,
died Sunday. He was 101.
Kundla, the Lakers’ original head coach, was living in a
Minneapolis assisted living facility in recent years.
“On behalf of the entire Lakers organization, I’d like to express
our sadness at the passing of John Kundla,” Lakers president and
co-owner Jeanie Buss said in a statement released by the team.
“John played an important role in the history of the Lakers
organization. … In addition to his numerous contributions to the
Lakers and our legacy, John was a wonderful man and will be
remembered fondly.”
Before the Lakers won titles with Hall of Fame centers Wilt
Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal, Kundla
presided over championship teams anchored by George Mikan.
The Lakers won the 1949 championship in the BAA, which is the
league that preceded the NBA. Kundla also led the Lakers to NBA
titles in 1950 and from 1952-54.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1995 and during the
league’s “NBA at 50” in 1996, Kundla was named one of the NBA’s 10
greatest coaches.
Kundla began his tenure with the Lakers at 31 and finished with a
record of 423-302 after resigning in 1959 — the year before the
team moved to Los Angeles.
Former Minneapolis Lakers coach John Kundla raises his arms and says, “I made it!” during his 100th birthday celebration.
After leaving the Lakers, he coached the men’s basketball team at
the University of Minnesota and was the first coach in school
history to give scholarships to African-American players. In nine
seasons with the Golden Gophers, Kundla posted a 110-105 record.
Both Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and head coach Tom Thibodeau
released statements on the passing of Kudla. Said Taylor: “John
was an incredible staple of Minnesota basketball, and he continued
to be a fan of the local hoops scene well after he left coaching.
As for Thibodeau: “We are deeply saddened by the news of John’s
passing. He was an all-time great, Hall of Fame NBA coach. He had a
very profound impact on the NBA, coaching and the overall game by
winning six league championships, including four NBA Championships
in five years with the Minneapolis Lakers.”