John Kundla
5× BAA/NBA Champion | Minneapolis Lakers Head Coach | Hall of Fame Coach
John Kundla was born on July 3, 1916, in Star Junction, Pennsylvania. He played college basketball at the University of Minnesota before beginning his coaching career.
Kundla became head coach of the Minneapolis Lakers before the franchise entered the Basketball Association of America and remained their coach through most of the 1950s.
In BAA/NBA play, Kundla led Minneapolis to five championships: the 1949 BAA title and NBA championships in 1950, 1952, 1953, and 1954. He finished his BAA/NBA head-coaching career with a 423-302 record.
Kundla was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. Coach Kundla passed away on July 23, 2017, at the age of 101.
- Overall Coaching Record: 423-302
Coaching Career
Kundla coached the Minneapolis Lakers as they entered the BAA for the 1948-1949 season after winning the NBL championship the previous year.
The Lakers went 44-16 and won the 1949 BAA championship, then followed with the first NBA championship in franchise history in 1950.
Minneapolis won three consecutive NBA championships from 1952 through 1954, giving Kundla five BAA/NBA titles in six seasons.
Kundla briefly moved into an executive role during the 1957-1958 season before returning to the bench. In 1958-1959, a young Elgin Baylor helped the Lakers return to the NBA Finals.
Kundla finished his BAA/NBA career with a 423-302 regular-season record and a 60-35 playoff record.
Notable Players Coached
- George Mikan
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 5× BAA/NBA champion
- 3× NBA scoring champion
- Jim Pollard
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 5× BAA/NBA champion
- 4× NBA All-Star
- Vern Mikkelsen
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 4× NBA champion
- 6× NBA All-Star
- Slater Martin
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 5× NBA champion
- 7× NBA All-Star
- Elgin Baylor
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
- 11× NBA All-Star
