Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Tuesday 25 July 2017

In this April 25, 1952, file photo, Minneapolis Lakers coach John
Kundla, top, is carried by his players to their dressing room in
Minneapolis after defeating the New York Knickerbockers to
win their fourth NBA basketball championship in five years.

Basketball Hall

of Famer John Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden celebrates her win in the women’s 100-meter butterfly final during the

Kundla dies at 101 swimming competitions of the World Aquatics Championships in the Duna Arena in Budapest,
Hungary, Monday, July 24, 2017.
Associated Press

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI the accolades to his play- Continued from Page 17 while Sweden’s Sarah Sjos- ker to break the 57-sec-
trom just missed breaking ond barrier, a quest he has
AP Basketball Writer ers over himself. He was her own world record in the dubbed “Project 56.”
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Be- known for his understated Hosszu led from start to 100 butterfly. “I’ve a few more 57 races
fore Phil Jackson and Pat sideline demeanor, which finish in the race encom- After claiming two golds to get down to 56, but I’m
Riley, before Gregg Popov- was unique compared with passing all four swimming on Sunday , Ledecky’s just going to follow that
ich and Larry Brown, even the fiery drill sergeants of strokes, finishing off with lone race was the morning curve now and see where
before Red Auerbach, the era. the freestyle and a time of preliminaries of the 1,500 I can go,” he said.
there was John Kundla. “John wasn’t a screamer 2 minutes, 7.00 seconds. It freestyle. She breezed The silver went to Kevin
Kundla, the Hall of Fame and was very mild-man- was nearly a second slow- through the grueling event Cordes of the United States
coach who led the Min- nered, but he’d let loose er than her world-record in 15:47.57 — nearly 18 sec- at 58.79 and Russia’s Kirill Pr-
neapolis Lakers to five NBA when we deserved it, and performance at the Rio onds faster than second- igoda claimed the bronze
championships, died Sun- usually I was the first one he Olympics last summer but fastest qualifier Mireia Bel- (59.05).
day. He was 101. bawled out,” Mikan once enough to hold off hard- monte of Spain. American Cody Miller, the
Jim Kundla said his father told Sports Illustrated. “The charging Yui Ohashi of Ja- The final is Tuesday night. bronze medalist in Rio, fin-
died at an assisted living message he sent was that pan, who settled for silver “It felt good,” Ledecky said. ished fifth.
facility in Northeast Minne- no one on the team was in 2:07.91. “I know how to manage Having already set a world
apolis that he called home above criticism.” The bronze went to Madi- the schedule. I just kind of record with her leadoff leg
for years. Kundla was born in Star syn Cox of the United have to work through the in the 4x100 freestyle relay,
With George Mikan in the Junction, Pennsylvania, on States in 2:09.71, just ahead prelims as easy as I can to Sjostrom nearly took down
middle and Kundla the July 3, 1916. He relocated of teammate Melanie Mar- keep myself rested.” another mark in the fly with
calm, steady hand direct- to Minneapolis with his fam- golis. In the semifinals of the a winning time of 55.53.
ing the team, the Lakers ily at the age of 5. After touching the wall, women’s 100 breast, Olym- That was just 0.05 seconds
won the 1949 champi- The Detroit Gems of NBL Hosszu pounded the wa- pic gold medalist Lilly King off her gold-medal triumph
onship in the BAA — the moved to the Twin Cities in ter, stuck out her tongue and Yulia Efimova set up a at Rio. When Sjostrom saw
league that preceded the 1947 and hired Kundla to and climbed atop a lane rematch of their bitter race the time on the score-
NBA and NBA titles in 1950 run the re-named Lakers. rope to acknowledge the in Rio, where the finger- board, she covered her
and 1952-54, cementing In Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen raucous crowd. Her hus- wagging American called mouth in surprise.
the franchise’s place as and Jim Pollard, the Lakers band and coach, Shane out her Russian rival for a “It felt like I was going a bit
the league’s first true dy- assembled the first super Tusup, pumped his fists and history of doping violations . slower than I did yesterday
nasty. The Lakers also won team, beating New York in led out a guttural scream. Efimova was the fastest actually, so maybe butter-
an NBL title in 1948, but the 1952 and ‘53 and Syracuse Hosszu popped out of the qualifier at 1:04.35 — just fly is about being all relaxed
NBL marks are not included in ‘54 for the three straight water and ran around the one-hundredth of a sec- and then you can be even
in the NBA’s records. titles. To this day Jackson, deck to embrace Tusup, ond off the world record — faster,” said Sjostrom, who
Kundla was the oldest liv- Auerbach and Kundla who handed her a red cap and King was right behind didn’t look at all tired a day
ing Hall of Famer in any of stand as the only three emblazoned with the nick- at 1:04.53. after racing four times.
the four major pro sports in coaches to have won name she received a few Peaty, who now sports a Australia’s Emma McKeon
America. more than two champion- years ago for her grueling massive lion tattoo on his (56.18) grabbed the silver
Kundla was inducted into ships in a row. repertoire of events. left arm, made the turn un- and Kelsi Worrell of the U.S.
the Hall of Fame in 1995. A What was Kundla’s secret? Iron Lady. der his world-record pace (56.37) settled for bronze.
year later, he was named “One game with about a “This is pretty much how I from Rio but faded a bit Seventeen-year-old Ca-
one of the league’s 10 minute left to go. Tie game. felt the first time I won,” she on the return lap to touch nadian Penny Oleksiak, a
greatest coaches as part I substituted,” Kundla re- said. in 57.47. The unquestioned breakout star in Rio with
of the league’s “NBA at 50” called to NBA.com last Hosszu wasn’t the only big breaststroke king missed his four medals, finished fourth.
celebration. year. “The player I substitut- name to claim gold on the mark of 57.13 yet still turned Britain earned another
He was hired at 31 and re- ed gets a beautiful basket second night of swimming. in the second-fastest time gold when Benjamin Proud
signed at 42 with a career and wins the ball game. Britain’s Adam Peaty ever in the event. touched first at 22.79 in the
record of 423-302, happy Everybody said, ‘What a romped to victory in the His ultimate goal is to be- men’s 50 butterfly, a non-
to cede the attention and smart move you made.’ q 100-meter breaststroke, come the first breaststro- Olympic event. q