Bob Kurland
Inducted:
1961
Player Stats
7 ft 0in(2.13m)
220 lb(100kg)
Born
December 23, 1924
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Died
September 29, 2013
Sanibel Island, Florida, U.S.
Position:
Center
College:
Oklahoma State (1942–1946)
Bob Kurland was one of the pioneering big men in basketball history and one of the most dominant players of the pre-NBA era.Standing seven feet tall, he was one of the first dominant seven-footers in organized basketball and was renowned for his shot-blocking, rebounding, defense and scoring ability.
Kurland led Oklahoma A&M to consecutive NCAA championships in 1945 and 1946 and later became a star with the Phillips 66ers, helping the team win three AAU national championships. He was the 1946 Helms Foundation National Player of the Year. He also represented the United States at two Olympic Games, winning gold medals in both 1948 and 1952, becoming the first player to win two Olympic basketball gold medals.
He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961 as a player.
Kurland's Awards and Honors
- 2× NCAA Champion (1945, 1946)
- 3× AAU National Champion
- 2× Olympic Gold Medalist with USA (1948, 1952)
- 6× AAU All-American
- Helms Foundation College Basketball Hall of Fame
- Sporting News Player of the Year (1946)
- 3× Consensus first-team All-American (1944–1946)
- First-team All-MVC (1946)
NBA Teams
Phillips 66ers (1946–1952)
NBA Stats
College Career:
1942–1946
College Games:
118
College Points:
1,669
College Scoring Average:
14.1 ppg
NCAA Championships:
2
AAU Career:
1946–1952
AAU Championships:
3
AAU All-American:
6
Olympic Gold Medals:
2