John Kundla

John Kundla was an American basketball coach who led the Minneapolis Lakers to five NBA championships and two National Basketball League titles between 1947 and 1959.

Connect

1948 Minneapolis Lakers season: The season in which the Minneapolis Lakers won the National Basketball League championship. Kundla’s first Lakers title came in this NBL season.
George Mikan: An American basketball center who led the Minneapolis Lakers to five professional league championships. Mikan was Kundla’s dominant center and the focal point of the championship teams.
University of Minnesota: A public research university in Minneapolis, Minnesota, founded in 1851. Kundla played basketball there and later returned as its head coach.
National Basketball Association: A professional basketball league founded in 1946 and now comprising teams in the United States and Canada. Kundla’s titles helped establish the new league’s early competitive identity.
1949 Minneapolis Lakers season: The Minneapolis Lakers’ first season in the Basketball Association of America, ending with a league championship. Kundla carried the Lakers from the NBL into a new league and another title.
Vern Mikkelsen: An American basketball forward and center who played for the Minneapolis Lakers from 1949 to 1959. His defense and rebounding helped Kundla sustain the Lakers’ success.
University of Minnesota Golden Gophers men's basketball: The University of Minnesota’s intercollegiate men's basketball program. Kundla’s college playing and coaching careers were rooted in this program.
Los Angeles Lakers: A professional basketball team based in Los Angeles since 1960, descended from the Minneapolis Lakers. The franchise’s later identity and championship tradition grew from Kundla’s Minneapolis teams.
1950 Minneapolis Lakers season: The Minneapolis Lakers’ first NBA championship season, after the BAA merged with the NBL. This title began Kundla’s run of NBA championships with Minneapolis.
Jim Pollard: An American professional basketball player who starred for the Minneapolis Lakers from 1947 to 1955. Pollard was a key scoring and fast-break partner for Mikan under Kundla.