Janis Kruminš
Encyclopedia
Jānis Krūmiņš (Janis Krumins, , ; January 30, 1930 – November 20, 1994) was a Soviet Latvian center basketball
player. Helped by his height (about 220 cm), he was the first giant center
dominating under the European baskets, for years. As a player of Soviet Union national basketball team Krumins won 3 gold medals at the 1959
, 1961
and 1963
European championships
as well as 3 silver medals at the 1956
, 1960
and 1964
Olympic basketball tournaments
.
, Latvia
. His father was a big strong man who died when Janis was still a boy. At the age of 13 Krumins had to start working, as a collector of tree resin. Very soon, he became an efficient worker, partly because his height (he was 2m tall by the age 14) allowed him to reach where others failed. He liked his work and later was hesitant to turn professional player, saying that he could always get injured and lose his job as a basketball player, but not as a resin collector. As a well-built giant, Krumins attracted attention of many coaches who tried to bring him to wrestling, boxing and athletics. Famous Soviet athletics coach Victor Alexeev even brought him for a month to an athletics training camp. All attempts failed because of lack of interest from Krumins.
In 1953 he was found by coach Alexander Gomelsky
and brought to the basketball club ASK Riga
. Gomelsky was struggling to make ASK the top Latvian club and needed a strong center player. Although Krumins never played basketball before, Gomelsky intuitively felt his potential and was spending 2 hours personally training Krumins before the team training. Gomelsky considered Krumins the only apprentice in his whole career—all other players were well established before coming to him. Physically, Krumins had good coordination and extraordinary strength, but he was slow. His height was exceptional for that time and was variably reported between 218 and 223 cm; the variation was mostly due to his natural body contraction during the day and over his career. With a weight of 140 kg he was described as well built and "dry". He was not a talented pupil, but was exceptionally persistent and performed all the drills set by the coach. His strongest point, according to Gomelsky was his mental balance and reliability. On the other hand, he was too shy for a leader. Seeing a 220 cm giant, most defenders did not hesitate to step on his toes, push or punch him. Krumins patiently took all abuses and when once asked why he didn't fight back, replied that he was afraid he might accidentally kill someone. Later, when Krumins became a star, his modesty brought another problem—he was instantly recognized on streets and cheered and touched by the crowd, about which he felt uncomfortable. He stopped using public transport and drove a car instead.
Another mundane problem was his height that hindered finding clothes and shoes. Luckily, Krumins was spotted by Marshall
Hovhannes Bagramyan
. Bagramyan, a big man himself, was favorable to tall sportsmen and after meeting Krumins ordered to build a 3m long bed, and make custom shoes and clothes for him.
champion in 1955 and Krumins was included into the USSR national team. He was a dominant Soviet center in the 1956 Summer Olympics
helping the team to reach the finals. He played for the team for about 10 years winning Eurobasket
golds in 1959, 1961 and 1963; European champion cups
in 1958
, 1959
and 1960
; and USSR championships in 1955, 1956, 1957 and 1958; and Olympic silvers in 1956, 1960 and 1964. Krumins remained a calm player over all those years, still sparing small opponents. However, he was well emotional and active in the key games and fought full power against players of his size. Krumins had a rare free throw
style—with two hands from the belt rather than usual top throw, still scoring 90% on average. A Russian poll in 2006 put him as 3rd most popular Soviet basketball player of all time, after Arvydas Sabonis
and Vladimir Tkachenko
.
on occasion of 20th anniversary of Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic. They had two sons and a daughter. After retiring from basketball, Krumins closed up in his family and became a renowned metalworker, molding art pictures out of metal by the sketches of his wife. He died on November 21, 1994 in Riga
in the age 64.
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
player. Helped by his height (about 220 cm), he was the first giant center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
dominating under the European baskets, for years. As a player of Soviet Union national basketball team Krumins won 3 gold medals at the 1959
EuroBasket 1959
The EuroBasket 1959 was the 11th EuroBasket, the biennial regional basketball championship contested by European nations and held by FIBA Europe. The tournament, which was hosted by Turkey, began on 21 May 1959 and concluded with the final on 31 May 1959. Seventeen national teams affiliated with...
, 1961
EuroBasket 1961
The 1961 European Basketball Championship, commonly called Eurobasket 1961, was the 12th regional championship held by FIBA Europe. Eighteen national teams affiliated with the International Basketball Federation entered the competition. The competition was hosted by Yugoslavia...
and 1963
EuroBasket 1963
The 1963 European Basketball Championship, commonly called Eurobasket 1963, was the 13th regional championship held by FIBA Europe. Seventeen national teams affiliated with the International Basketball Federation entered the competition...
European championships
Eurobasket
The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
as well as 3 silver medals at the 1956
Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics was the fourth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition. Fifteen nations, an unusually low number for the basketball tournament, competed in the event, with 174 participants. A total number of 56 games of basketball were played.The teams were divided...
, 1960
Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 1960 Summer Olympics was the fifth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition. 16 nations were admitted into the Olympic tournament, with many others being eliminated in a pre-Olympic tournament held earlier in the year from 13 to 20 August 1960 at the Sports Palace at Bologna...
and 1964
Basketball at the 1964 Summer Olympics
Basketball contests at the 1964 Summer Olympics took place at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan from October 11 to October 23. The United States defeated the Soviet Union to win their sixth straight gold medal at this event, while Brazil earned the bronze against Puerto...
Olympic basketball tournaments
Basketball at the Summer Olympics
Basketball has been a Summer Olympics sport for men consistently since 1936. Prior to its inclusion as a medal sport, it was held as demonstration event in 1904 and 1932, both in the United States. Women's basketball was played in the Olympics only since 1976....
.
Early years
Janis Krumins was born on January 30, 1930 in Raiskums township, Cēsis DistrictCesis District
Cēsis District was an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Vidzeme region, in the country's north-east. It bordered the former districts of Valmiera and Valka to the north, Limbaži and Riga to the west, Gulbene to the east, Ogre and Madona to the south. It was organized into two...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
. His father was a big strong man who died when Janis was still a boy. At the age of 13 Krumins had to start working, as a collector of tree resin. Very soon, he became an efficient worker, partly because his height (he was 2m tall by the age 14) allowed him to reach where others failed. He liked his work and later was hesitant to turn professional player, saying that he could always get injured and lose his job as a basketball player, but not as a resin collector. As a well-built giant, Krumins attracted attention of many coaches who tried to bring him to wrestling, boxing and athletics. Famous Soviet athletics coach Victor Alexeev even brought him for a month to an athletics training camp. All attempts failed because of lack of interest from Krumins.
In 1953 he was found by coach Alexander Gomelsky
Alexander Gomelsky
Alexander Yakovlevich Gomelsky was a great Soviet and Russian basketball coach.Gomelsky was Jewish. He began his coaching career in 1948 in Leningrad with LGS Spartak...
and brought to the basketball club ASK Riga
ASK Riga
ASK Rīga is the name of a former professional basketball club based in Riga, Latvia. "ASK" stands for "Armijas Sporta Klubs" .-History:...
. Gomelsky was struggling to make ASK the top Latvian club and needed a strong center player. Although Krumins never played basketball before, Gomelsky intuitively felt his potential and was spending 2 hours personally training Krumins before the team training. Gomelsky considered Krumins the only apprentice in his whole career—all other players were well established before coming to him. Physically, Krumins had good coordination and extraordinary strength, but he was slow. His height was exceptional for that time and was variably reported between 218 and 223 cm; the variation was mostly due to his natural body contraction during the day and over his career. With a weight of 140 kg he was described as well built and "dry". He was not a talented pupil, but was exceptionally persistent and performed all the drills set by the coach. His strongest point, according to Gomelsky was his mental balance and reliability. On the other hand, he was too shy for a leader. Seeing a 220 cm giant, most defenders did not hesitate to step on his toes, push or punch him. Krumins patiently took all abuses and when once asked why he didn't fight back, replied that he was afraid he might accidentally kill someone. Later, when Krumins became a star, his modesty brought another problem—he was instantly recognized on streets and cheered and touched by the crowd, about which he felt uncomfortable. He stopped using public transport and drove a car instead.
Another mundane problem was his height that hindered finding clothes and shoes. Luckily, Krumins was spotted by Marshall
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Marshal of the Soviet Union was the de facto highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ....
Hovhannes Bagramyan
Hovhannes Bagramyan
Ivan Khristoforovich Bagramyan , also known as Hovhannes Khachaturi BaghramyanPronunciation: Bagramyan's name is most commonly written in English as Bagramyan "bahg-rahm-yahn" or Bagramian...
. Bagramyan, a big man himself, was favorable to tall sportsmen and after meeting Krumins ordered to build a 3m long bed, and make custom shoes and clothes for him.
Success
All the efforts paid back. Krumins quickly became a smart center player and a leader of ASK. The club became Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
champion in 1955 and Krumins was included into the USSR national team. He was a dominant Soviet center in the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
helping the team to reach the finals. He played for the team for about 10 years winning Eurobasket
Eurobasket
The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
golds in 1959, 1961 and 1963; European champion cups
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
in 1958
FIBA European Champions Cup 1958
The inaugural season 1958 of the FIBA European Champions Cup was won by ASK Riga by winning both games against Akademik Sofia. Previously, they hadn't played the semifinals as Real Madrid wasn't allowed to travel to Soviet Riga by the Francoist authorities.The first game was held on February 22,...
, 1959
FIBA European Champions Cup 1958-59
The 1958-59 and second season of the FIBA European Champions Cup was won by ASK Riga for the second straight time, again by beating Academic Sofia in both final games 79-58 & 69-67...
and 1960
FIBA European Champions Cup 1959-60
The third season of the FIBA European Champions Cup was won by ASK Riga for the third straight time, an accomplishment only achieved again by KK Split in the late 80's, in 1989-1991. In the finals Riga defeated Soviet Union national league champion Dinamo Tbilisi in both final games 51-61 & 62-69...
; and USSR championships in 1955, 1956, 1957 and 1958; and Olympic silvers in 1956, 1960 and 1964. Krumins remained a calm player over all those years, still sparing small opponents. However, he was well emotional and active in the key games and fought full power against players of his size. Krumins had a rare free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
style—with two hands from the belt rather than usual top throw, still scoring 90% on average. A Russian poll in 2006 put him as 3rd most popular Soviet basketball player of all time, after Arvydas Sabonis
Arvydas Sabonis
Arvydas Romas Sabonis is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball player and a businessman. He was an eight-time European Player of the Year, winning the Euroscar Award six times, and the Mr...
and Vladimir Tkachenko
Vladimir Tkachenko
Vladimir Pyotrovich Tkachenko is a retired Ukrainian professional basketball player. Tkachenko won two Olympics Basketball medals and three FIBA World Championship medals with the Soviet Union national basketball team in a career that lasted 16 years. He was named both the Euroscar and the Mr...
.
Personal life
Krumins was shy with people, including women. He met his wife Inessa by chance. In 1960, as a sculptor she was ordered to make his bustBust (sculpture)
A bust is a sculpted or cast representation of the upper part of the human figure, depicting a person's head and neck, as well as a variable portion of the chest and shoulders. The piece is normally supported by a plinth. These forms recreate the likeness of an individual...
on occasion of 20th anniversary of Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic. They had two sons and a daughter. After retiring from basketball, Krumins closed up in his family and became a renowned metalworker, molding art pictures out of metal by the sketches of his wife. He died on November 21, 1994 in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
in the age 64.