Bob Kurland
Robert Albert "Bob" Kurland (born December 23, 1924 in St. Louis , Missouri , † September 29, 2013 in Sanibel , Florida ) was an American basketball player .
Career
Kurland became known through his time at Oklahoma State University , whose most important player he was in winning the NCAA Division I Basketball Championships in 1945 and 1946. Kurland and George Mikan are considered the first real playing big men in basketball history and were the reason why the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) introduced the goaltending rule in 1944 . Kurland was 2.08 m tall and played on the position of the center .
Kurland gave up a professional career after graduating from college in order to have the opportunity to play for the US Olympic selection (as only amateurs were allowed at the time). Both in London in 1948 and in Helsinki in 1952 , Kurland took part in the Olympic Games and won gold with the USA. Kurland never played in the US professional league National Basketball Association (NBA), but was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961 .
Kurland died at the age of 88 in his home on Sanibel Island, Florida.
See also
Web links
- Bob Kurland in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame . On: Hoophall website; Springfield, MA, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018 (in English).
- Bob Kurland in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
Individual evidence
- ^ Richard Goldstein: Bob Kurland, 88, Pioneer for Basketball's Big Men, Dies. On: New York Times website; New York, NY, September 30, 2013. Retrieved October 1, 2013 (in English).
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kurland, Bob |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Courland, Robert Albert |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American basketball player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 23, 1924 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | St. Louis , Missouri, USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | 29th September 2013 |
| Place of death | Sanibel , Florida |