John Kundla
Encyclopedia
John Albert Kundla is a former college and professional basketball
coach.
(which closed in 1982), Kundla was a standout for the Minnesota Gophers basketball team in the late 1930s. 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.
. 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.
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. 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. 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.
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.
| align="left" |Minneapolis
| align="left" |
|60||44||16||.733|| align="center" | 2nd in Western ||10||8||2||.800
| align="center" |Won BAA Championship
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
| align="left" |
|68||51||17||.750|| align="center" | 1st in Central ||12||10||2||.833
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
| align="left" |
|68||44||24||.647|| align="center" | 1st in Western ||7||3||4||.429
| align="center" | Lost in Div. Finals
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
| align="left" |
|66||40||26||.606|| align="center" | 2nd in Western ||13||9||4||.692
| align="center" | Won NBA Championship
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
| align="left" |
|70||48||22||.686|| align="center" | 1st in Western ||12||9||3||.750
| align="center" | Won NBA Championship
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
| align="left" |
|72||46||26||.639|| align="center" | 1st in Western ||13||9||4||.692
| align="center" | Won NBA Championship
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
| align="left" |
|72||40||32||.556|| align="center" | 2nd in Western ||7||3||4||.429
| align="center" | Lost in Div. Finals
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
| align="left" |
|72||33||39||.458|| align="center" | 2nd in Western ||3||1||2||.333
| align="center" | Lost in Div. Semifinals
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
| align="left" |
|72||34||38||.472|| align="center" | 1st in Western ||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" | Lost in Div. Finals
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
| align="left" |
|33||10||23||.303|| align="center" | 4th in Western ||—||—||—||—
| align="center" | Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
| align="left" |
|72||33||39||.458|| align="center" | 2nd in Western ||13||6||7||.462
| align="center" | Lost in NBA Finals
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||725||423||302||.583|| ||95||60||35||.632
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...
coach.
Playing and early coaching careers
After attending and playing baseketball for Minneapolis Central High School in MinneapolisMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
(which closed in 1982), Kundla was a standout for the Minnesota Gophers basketball team in the late 1930s. 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
DeLaSalle High School (Minneapolis)
DeLaSalle High School is a Catholic, college preparatory high school located for its entire 111-year history on Nicollet Island, adjacent to downtown Minneapolis, USA. Then-Archbishop John Ireland helped raise money to build the new Catholic secondary school in Minneapolis. Only a few months...
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)
LST
LST is a three-character initialism that may refer to:* Landing Ship, Tank, a U.S. Navy ship class, of type Amphibious Warfare* Laplace-Stieltjes transform, a transform similar to the Laplace transform* Launceston Airport* Least slack time scheduling...
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 LeagueNational Basketball League
National Basketball League may mean:* National Basketball League , the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in Australasia* National Basketball League * National Basketball League of Canada...
. 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.
Kundla and the Lakers would be immediately successful when a month into the 1947-48 season, future Hall of Fame center George Mikan
George Mikan
George Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association...
became available when his old team the Chicago American Gears
Chicago American Gears
The Chicago American Gears were a National Basketball League team who played from 1944 to 1947.Led by George Mikan and Bobby McDermott, they defeated the Rochester Royals to win the 1947 NBL Championship....
folded. Outhustling the rest of the NBL and the teams of the rival Basketball Association of America
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ...
(BAA - the official predecessor of the NBA), the Lakers signed Mikan and the rest is history. Kundla then guided the George Mikan
George Mikan
George Lawrence Mikan, Jr. , nicknamed Mr. Basketball, was an American professional basketball player for the Chicago American Gears of the National Basketball League and the Minneapolis Lakers of the NBL, the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball Association...
-led Lakers, which also included star Jim Pollard, to the 1948 NBL title. 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
Rochester Royals
The franchise that would become the Sacramento Kings initially started in the city of Rochester, New York, as the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League....
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
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(after being purchased by Bob Short, the team moved in 1960) and despite having rookie sensation and future Hall of Famer Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor
Elgin Gay Baylor is a retired Hall of Fame American basketball player and former NBA general manager who played 13 seasons as a forward for the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers/Los Angeles Lakers....
on the team, Kundla chose to stay in Minnesota and quit the Lakers position to coach his alma mater, the University of Minnesota. 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 SpartansMichigan State Spartans
The Michigan State Spartans are the athletic team that represent Michigan State University. The school's athletic program includes 25 varsity sports teams. Their mascot is a Spartan warrior named Sparty, and the school colors are green and white...
basketball player Isaiah Dahlman and current Wofford Terrier
Wofford Terriers
Wofford College sponsors 18 sports for men's and women's programs. The Terriers also compete in the Southern Conference, and have been a part of the league since the 1997–98 academic year. Wofford and the other SoCon members play football in the Football Championship Subdivision...
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.
Coaching record
|-| align="left" |Minneapolis
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...
| align="left" |
|60||44||16||.733|| align="center" | 2nd in Western ||10||8||2||.800
| align="center" |Won BAA Championship
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
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...
| align="left" |
|68||51||17||.750|| align="center" | 1st in Central ||12||10||2||.833
| align="center" |Won NBA Championship
1950 NBA Finals
The 1950 NBA Finals was the championship round of the National Basketball Association's first season, the 1949–50 season.6'8" Dolph Schayes of Syracuse led his team out to the finals after a 16.8 ppg average during the regular season. George Mikan, however, averaged 27.4 ppg and led the league...
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
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...
| align="left" |
|68||44||24||.647|| align="center" | 1st in Western ||7||3||4||.429
| align="center" | Lost in Div. Finals
1951 NBA Playoffs
The 1951 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1950-1951 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Division champion Rochester Royals defeating the Eastern Division champion New York Knicks, four games to three in the NBA Finals.The Rochester...
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
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...
| align="left" |
|66||40||26||.606|| align="center" | 2nd in Western ||13||9||4||.692
| align="center" | Won NBA Championship
1952 NBA Finals
-Series Summary:Lakers vs. Knicks. Start of the first dynasty 1952-1954 Lakers. Lakers won 4-3.Lakers win series 4-3-Team rosters:-External links:*...
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
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...
| align="left" |
|70||48||22||.686|| align="center" | 1st in Western ||12||9||3||.750
| align="center" | Won NBA Championship
1953 NBA Finals
-Series Summary:Lakers win series 4-1-Team rosters:-External links:*...
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
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...
| align="left" |
|72||46||26||.639|| align="center" | 1st in Western ||13||9||4||.692
| align="center" | Won NBA Championship
1954 NBA Finals
-Series Summary:Lakers win series 4-3-Team rosters:-External links:*...
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
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...
| align="left" |
|72||40||32||.556|| align="center" | 2nd in Western ||7||3||4||.429
| align="center" | Lost in Div. Finals
1955 NBA Playoffs
The 1955 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1954-1955 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Syracuse Nationals defeating the Western Conference champion Fort Wayne Pistons, four games to three in the NBA Finals.This...
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
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...
| align="left" |
|72||33||39||.458|| align="center" | 2nd in Western ||3||1||2||.333
| align="center" | Lost in Div. Semifinals
1956 NBA Playoffs
The 1956 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1955-1956 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Warriors defeating the Western Conference champion Fort Wayne Pistons, four games to one in the NBA Finals.It was...
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
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...
| align="left" |
|72||34||38||.472|| align="center" | 1st in Western ||5||2||3||.400
| align="center" | Lost in Div. Finals
1957 NBA Playoffs
The 1957 NBA Playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1956-1957 season. The tournament concluded with the Eastern Division champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Division champion St. Louis Hawks, four games to three in the NBA Finals...
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
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...
| align="left" |
|33||10||23||.303|| align="center" | 4th in Western ||—||—||—||—
| align="center" | Missed Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |Minneapolis
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...
| align="left" |
|72||33||39||.458|| align="center" | 2nd in Western ||13||6||7||.462
| align="center" | Lost in NBA Finals
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....
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" |Career
| ||725||423||302||.583|| ||95||60||35||.632