Jim Krebs
Encyclopedia
James Krebs was an American
basketball
player. A 6'8" (2.03 m) power forward
/center
, he starred for the SMU Mustangs
during the mid-1950s and later played with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers
of the NBA
. He died in a freak tree falling accident at the age of 29.
. While representing Webster Groves High School
in a St. Louis
-area all-star game, he attracted the attention of Doc Hayes, the men's basketball coach at Southern Methodist University
in Texas
. Hayes convinced Krebs to sign with SMU, and recruited two fellow Missourans to play alongside him.
Described as a "cautious, careful player" with an "unstoppable hook shot
," Krebs became the star of the Mustangs and one of the best players in the nation. He scored 1,753 points in his three varsity seasons (1954–1957), led the Mustangs to three consecutive Southwest Conference championships, and was named to three All-SWC teams. Coach Hayes' strategy was simple: "[W]hen Jim is free, feed it to the big man."
In 1956, Krebs' team reached the NCAA National Semifinals
, where they faced Bill Russell
and the University of San Francisco
. SMU lost 86-68, but Krebs did outscore future Hall of Famer Russell 24-17. The next year, Krebs earned consensus All-America
n honors and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated
with the headline: "Big Jim and the Texas Boom". His team reached the NCAA Tournament once again that spring, but they were defeated 73-65 by Wilt Chamberlain
and the University of Kansas in the Midwestern semifinals.
During Krebs' collegiate career, basketball became so popular at SMU that the school constructed a new, $2.25 million basketball arena in 1956—Moody Coliseum
, which the Mustangs use to this day. Other schools in the Southwest Conference, who had mainly emphasized college football
, took notice of Krebs' success and increased funding for their own basketball programs.
. He played with the Lakers (who moved to Los Angeles in 1960) for seven seasons, mostly in a reserve role behind Vern Mikkelsen
, Larry Foust
, or Rudy LaRusso
. The team reached the NBA Finals
three times (1959
, 1962
, and 1963
), but lost each series to Bill Russell's Boston Celtics
. Over his career, Krebs posted statistics of 8.0 points per game
, 6.2 rebounds per game, and 0.8 assists per game. His statistically strongest season occurred in 1961-62
, when he averaged 10.0 points and 7.9 rebounds.
Krebs occasionally struggled with foul trouble while in the NBA. He once ranked ninth in the league in personal fouls, and committed a playoff-record five fouls in one quarter during the fifth game of the 1963 NBA Finals. Krebs also engaged in several fights with opposing players, including Russell and St. Louis
' Bob Pettit
. Indeed, Russell once wrote, "Jim Krebs was known in the league as man who was willing to go beyond the rules in getting his man." Though he could be aggressive on the court, teammates described Krebs as fun-loving and charismatic. Los Angeles Times
sportswriter Jim Murray
once wrote, "Time and again I've seen him make a team that was about to cry, laugh."
. All the passengers survived, and Krebs later wrote an account of the crash for Sports Illustrated. His article took a humorous tone. Describing a hearse
which arrived at the scene, he wrote, "I'm positive I detected a slightly disappointed look when the driver found out everyone was all right." He also joked that his wife asked him, "Where have you been? Carol who?" when he called home to report what happened.
at a bank in Beverly Hills, California
. He built a home for his wife and children in Woodland Hills
.
On May 6, 1965, Krebs was suddenly killed while trying to remove a tree from his neighbor's yard. A limb from the tree struck him in the head as the tree was falling. His wife was pregnant with a son, who was born two months later. "Of all the lousy breaks for all of us," responded Jim Murray in his column.
Krebs was posthumously elected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame
in 1976. His number 32 jersey was retired at SMU in 2002.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. A 6'8" (2.03 m) power forward
Power forward (basketball)
Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
/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...
, he starred for the SMU Mustangs
SMU Mustangs
The SMU Mustangs is the name of the athletic teams representing Southern Methodist University. The Mustangs participate in the NCAA's Division I as a member of Conference USA. In 2005, SMU accepted an invitation to the Western Division of Conference USA, and left the Western Athletic Conference...
during the mid-1950s and later played with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. He died in a freak tree falling accident at the age of 29.
Early life and college
Krebs was born in Webster Groves, MissouriWebster Groves, Missouri
Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census. The city is named after New England politician Daniel Webster....
. While representing Webster Groves High School
Webster Groves High School
Webster Groves High School is a public secondary school in Webster Groves, Missouri, United States. It is located at 100 Selma Ave, Webster Groves, MO. The school is part of the Webster Groves School District and its current principal is Dr. Jon Clark....
in a St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
-area all-star game, he attracted the attention of Doc Hayes, the men's basketball coach at Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Hayes convinced Krebs to sign with SMU, and recruited two fellow Missourans to play alongside him.
Described as a "cautious, careful player" with an "unstoppable hook shot
Hook shot
A hook shot, in basketball, is a play in which the offensive player, usually turned perpendicular to the basket, gently throws the ball with a sweeping motion of his arm in an upward arc with a follow-through which ends over his head. Unlike the jump shot, it is shot with only one hand; the other...
," Krebs became the star of the Mustangs and one of the best players in the nation. He scored 1,753 points in his three varsity seasons (1954–1957), led the Mustangs to three consecutive Southwest Conference championships, and was named to three All-SWC teams. Coach Hayes' strategy was simple: "[W]hen Jim is free, feed it to the big man."
In 1956, Krebs' team reached the NCAA National Semifinals
1956 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
-Midwest Region:-West Region:-Far West Region:-Final Four:-Notes:* Canisius's first-round victory over the second-ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack, considered by many to be among the top ten upsets in tournament history, set a record for most overtime periods in a Division I Men's tournament...
, where they faced Bill Russell
Bill Russell
William Felton "Bill" Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association...
and the University of San Francisco
San Francisco Dons
The San Francisco Dons is the nickname of the athletic teams at the University of San Francisco .-History:Athletics at USF dates back to its founding in 1855, when founder Anthony Maraschi, S.J. organized ball games as recreation for the first students...
. SMU lost 86-68, but Krebs did outscore future Hall of Famer Russell 24-17. The next year, Krebs earned consensus All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n honors and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
with the headline: "Big Jim and the Texas Boom". His team reached the NCAA Tournament once again that spring, but they were defeated 73-65 by Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
and the University of Kansas in the Midwestern semifinals.
During Krebs' collegiate career, basketball became so popular at SMU that the school constructed a new, $2.25 million basketball arena in 1956—Moody Coliseum
Moody Coliseum
Moody Coliseum is an 8,998-seat multi-purpose arena in University Park, Texas. The arena opened in 1956. It is home to the Southern Methodist University Mustangs basketball team. It was also home to the Dallas Chaparrals and Texas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association before they moved...
, which the Mustangs use to this day. Other schools in the Southwest Conference, who had mainly emphasized college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, took notice of Krebs' success and increased funding for their own basketball programs.
NBA
After his senior season at SMU, Krebs was selected by the Minneapolis Lakers with the third overall pick in the 1957 NBA Draft1957 NBA Draft
The 1957 NBA Draft was the 11th annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 17, 1957 before the 1957–58 season. In this draft, eight NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players...
. He played with the Lakers (who moved to Los Angeles in 1960) for seven seasons, mostly in a reserve role behind Vern Mikkelsen
Vern Mikkelsen
Arild Verner Agerskov "Vern" Mikkelsen is an American former professional basketball player. He was one of the NBA's first power forwards in the 1950s and was known for his tenacious defense.-Early life:...
, Larry Foust
Larry Foust
Lawrence Michael Foust was an American basketball player who spent 12 seasons in the NBA and was an 8-time All-Star. He attended South Catholic High School in Philadelphia...
, or Rudy LaRusso
Rudy LaRusso
Rudolph "Rudy" A. LaRusso was an American 6' 7" five-time National Basketball Association All-Star.-Early life:He attended James Madison High School in Brooklyn...
. The team reached the NBA Finals
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
three times (1959
1959 NBA Finals
The 1959 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1958-59 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1959 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion Minneapolis Lakers and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics....
, 1962
1962 NBA Finals
The 1962 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1961-62 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1962 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics...
, and 1963
1963 NBA Finals
The 1963 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 1962-63 National Basketball Association season, and was the conclusion of the 1963 NBA Playoffs. The best-of-seven series was played between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers and the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics...
), but lost each series to Bill Russell's Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
. Over his career, Krebs posted statistics of 8.0 points per game
Points per game
Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by number of games. The terminology is often used in...
, 6.2 rebounds per game, and 0.8 assists per game. His statistically strongest season occurred in 1961-62
1961-62 NBA season
The 1961–62 NBA season was the 16th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning their 4th straight NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
, when he averaged 10.0 points and 7.9 rebounds.
Krebs occasionally struggled with foul trouble while in the NBA. He once ranked ninth in the league in personal fouls, and committed a playoff-record five fouls in one quarter during the fifth game of the 1963 NBA Finals. Krebs also engaged in several fights with opposing players, including Russell and St. Louis
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
' Bob Pettit
Bob Pettit
Robert Lee "Bob" Pettit Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks . He was the first recipient of the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970...
. Indeed, Russell once wrote, "Jim Krebs was known in the league as man who was willing to go beyond the rules in getting his man." Though he could be aggressive on the court, teammates described Krebs as fun-loving and charismatic. Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
sportswriter Jim Murray
Jim Murray (sportswriter)
James Patrick Murray was an American sportswriter at the Los Angeles Times from 1961 to 1998.Many of his achievements include winning the NSSA's Sportswriter of the Year award an astounding fourteen times...
once wrote, "Time and again I've seen him make a team that was about to cry, laugh."
Plane crash survivor
On one evening in 1960, the Lakers' team plane experienced electrical problems and crashed into a field near Carroll, IowaCarroll, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,103 in the city, with a population density of . There were 4,698 housing units, of which 4,357 were occupied....
. All the passengers survived, and Krebs later wrote an account of the crash for Sports Illustrated. His article took a humorous tone. Describing a hearse
Hearse
A hearse is a funerary vehicle used to carry a coffin from a church or funeral home to a cemetery. In the funeral trade, hearses are often called funeral coaches.-History:...
which arrived at the scene, he wrote, "I'm positive I detected a slightly disappointed look when the driver found out everyone was all right." He also joked that his wife asked him, "Where have you been? Carol who?" when he called home to report what happened.
Post-basketball
After retiring from basketball in 1964, Krebs became a loan officerLoan officer
A loan officer is a person who serves as an intermediary between lending institutions and borrowers. They solicit loans, represent creditors to borrowers, and represent borrowers to creditors....
at a bank in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
. He built a home for his wife and children in Woodland Hills
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
Woodland Hills is a district in the city of Los Angeles, California.Woodland Hills is located in the southwestern area of the San Fernando Valley, east of Calabasas and west of Tarzana, with Warner Center in its northern section...
.
On May 6, 1965, Krebs was suddenly killed while trying to remove a tree from his neighbor's yard. A limb from the tree struck him in the head as the tree was falling. His wife was pregnant with a son, who was born two months later. "Of all the lousy breaks for all of us," responded Jim Murray in his column.
Krebs was posthumously elected to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame
Texas Sports Hall of Fame
The Texas Sports Hall of Fame recognizes athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made "lasting fame and honor to Texas sports". It was established in 1951 by the Texas Sports Writers Association. Once it made its first induction in 1951, Texas became the first U.S...
in 1976. His number 32 jersey was retired at SMU in 2002.