Jānis Krūmiņš
Jānis Krūmiņš at the 1960 Summer Olympics. | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 30 January 1930 |
| Died | 20 November 1994 (aged 64) Riga, Latvia |
| Nationality | Latvian |
| Listed height | 2.20 m (7 ft 2+1⁄2 in) |
| Listed weight | 141 kg (311 lb) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 1954–1969 |
| Position | Center |
| Career history | |
| 1954–1964 | Rīgas ASK |
| 1964–1969 | VEF Rīga |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Medals | |
Jānis Krūmiņš (30 January 1930 – 20 November 1994) was a Soviet-Latvian professional basketball player. Helped by his height (about 220 cm, or 7'3"), he was the first giant center that dominated under European baskets, for years. As a player of the senior Soviet Union national basketball team, Krūmiņš won 3 gold medals at the 1959, 1961, and 1963 EuroBaskets, as well as 3 silver medals at the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Summer Olympic Games.
A Russian poll that was conducted in 2006, named Krūmiņš as the 3rd most popular Soviet men's basketball player of all time, after Arvydas Sabonis and Vladimir Tkachenko.