John Kundla was an American basketball coach who is best known for his 11-year tenure as head coach of the Minneapolis Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Kundla was born in Star Junction, Pennsylvania in 1916 and attended the University of Minnesota, where he played basketball and baseball. He began his coaching career in 1948 as the head coach of the Minneapolis Lakers, a team he would lead to five NBA championships over the next 11 years.

Kundla was known for his innovative coaching style, which focused on team play and defense. He was the first coach to use the fast break and zone defense, and he was also one of the first to use the full-court press. He was also one of the first coaches to use a substitution pattern, allowing him to keep his players fresh throughout the game.

Kundla's teams were known for their strong defense and team play. He was able to get the most out of his players, and his teams were consistently among the best in the league. He was also known for his ability to develop young players, as he was able to turn rookies such as Elgin Baylor and Jerry West into stars.

Kundla was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, and he was named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1996. He is remembered as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history, and his legacy lives on in the game of basketball.

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