Olympic Athlete. Born in East Los Angeles, California, he was a 6-foot 7-inch center, playing basketball for the UCLA Bruins (1928-31) and earned All-Pacific Coast Conference honors in his senior season. Following his college career, he played for the Twentieth Century Fox AAU team when he was selected as captain of the US Olympic Basketball team. At the 1936 Olympic Berlin Germany, he led his team the first Gold Medal in the basketball event. After the Olympics, using American-born players of Lithuanian heritage, he was invited to come to Lithuania and became their first national coach. There, he led the Lithuanian team to a Gold Medal in the 1939 European Championship. After serving in the US Army Air Corps during World War II, he continued to play for the Twentieth Century Fox team until he was 54 years old. For his contributions and for introducing the now basketball-mad country to the sport, he is often referred to as the Grandfather of Lithuanian basketball. In 1997, he was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame and also the Helms Sports Hall of Fame. He died at age 89 in Glendale, California.
Olympic Athlete. Born in East Los Angeles, California, he was a 6-foot 7-inch center, playing basketball for the UCLA Bruins (1928-31) and earned All-Pacific Coast Conference honors in his senior season. Following his college career, he played for the Twentieth Century Fox AAU team when he was selected as captain of the US Olympic Basketball team. At the 1936 Olympic Berlin Germany, he led his team the first Gold Medal in the basketball event. After the Olympics, using American-born players of Lithuanian heritage, he was invited to come to Lithuania and became their first national coach. There, he led the Lithuanian team to a Gold Medal in the 1939 European Championship. After serving in the US Army Air Corps during World War II, he continued to play for the Twentieth Century Fox team until he was 54 years old. For his contributions and for introducing the now basketball-mad country to the sport, he is often referred to as the Grandfather of Lithuanian basketball. In 1997, he was inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame and also the Helms Sports Hall of Fame. He died at age 89 in Glendale, California.
Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith
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