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James Krebs (September 8, 1935 – May 6, 1965) was an American
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player. A
power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers and are typi ...
/
center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...
, he starred for the
SMU Mustangs The SMU Mustangs are the sport, athletic teams that represent Southern Methodist University in University Park, Texas, United States. SMU was founded in 1911 and joined the Southwest Conference, competing against Baylor Bears, Baylor, Rice Owls, ...
during the mid-1950s and later played with the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers of the
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
. He died in a tree falling accident at the age of 29.


Early life and college

Krebs was born in
Webster Groves, Missouri Webster Groves is an inner-ring Greater St. Louis, suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 24,010 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The city is home to the main campus of Webster Universit ...
. While representing
Webster Groves High School Webster Groves High School is a state school, public high school school in Webster Groves, Missouri, United States. It is located at 100 Selma Ave, Webster Groves, MO. The school is part of the Webster Groves School District and its current prin ...
in a
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
-area all-star game, he attracted the attention of
Doc Hayes E. O. "Doc" Hayes (1906 – February 26, 1973) was an American basketball coach. He served as head basketball coach at Southern Methodist University (SMU) from 1947 to 1967, during which time, his teams won eight Southwest Conference (SWC) title ...
, the men's basketball coach at
Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a Private university, private research university in Dallas, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, ...
in
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. Hayes convinced Krebs to sign with SMU, and recruited two fellow Missourans to play alongside him.Feed It To the Big Man
. ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
''. January 21, 1957.
Described as a "cautious, careful player" with an "unstoppable
hook shot In basketball, a hook shot is a play where the offensive player, usually turned perpendicular to the basket, gently throws the ball using a sweeping motion of the arm farther from the basket in an upward arc with a follow-through which ends over ...
,"Rick Alonzo. "SMU will retire No. 32 worn by late Jim Krebs." ''
The Dallas Morning News ''The Dallas Morning News'' is a daily newspaper serving the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas, with an average print circulation in 2022 of 65,369. It was founded on October 1, 1885, by Alfred Horatio Belo as a satellite publication of the ' ...
''. February 23, 2003.
Krebs became the star of the Mustangs and one of the best players in the nation. He scored 1,753 points in his three varsity seasons (1954–1957), led the Mustangs to three consecutive
Southwest Conference The Southwest Conference (SWC) was an NCAA Division I college athletic conference in the United States that existed from 1914 to 1996. Composed primarily of schools from Texas, at various times the conference also included schools from Oklaho ...
championships, and was named to three All-SWC teams. Coach Hayes' strategy was simple: " en Jim is free, feed it to the big man." In 1956, Krebs' team reached the NCAA National Semifinals, where they faced
Bill Russell William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played Center (basketball), center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was t ...
and the
University of San Francisco The University of San Francisco (USF) is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit university in San Francisco, California, United States. Founded in 1855, it has nearly 9,000 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees ...
. SMU lost 68–86, but Krebs did outscore future
Hall of Famer A hall, wall, or walk of fame is a list of individuals, achievements, or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors, to mark their excellence or fame in their field. In some cases, these halls of fame consist of actual halls or muse ...
Russell 24–17. The next year, Krebs earned consensus
All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
n honors and appeared on the cover of ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' with the headline: "Big Jim and the Texas Boom". His team reached the NCAA Tournament once again that spring, but they were defeated 73–65 by
Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...
and the
University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States. Two branch campuses are in the Kansas City metropolitan area on the Kansas side: the university's medical school and hospital ...
in the Midwestern semifinals. During Krebs' collegiate career, basketball became so popular at SMU that the school constructed a new, $2.25 million basketball arena in 1956 —
Moody Coliseum Moody Coliseum is a 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena in University Park, Texas (an inner suburb of Dallas). The arena opened in 1956. It is home to the Southern Methodist University Mustangs basketball teams and volleyball team. It was also home ...
, which the Mustangs use to this day. Other schools in the Southwest Conference, who had mainly emphasized
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
, took notice of Krebs' success and increased funding for their own basketball programs.


NBA

After his senior season at SMU, Krebs was selected by the
Minneapolis Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers franchise has a long and storied history, having played and won championships in both the National Basketball League (United States), National Basketball League (NBL) and the Basketball Association of America (BAA) prior to ...
with the third overall pick in the 1957 NBA draft. He played with the Lakers (who moved to Los Angeles in 1960) for seven seasons, mostly in a reserve role behind
Vern Mikkelsen Arild Verner Agerskov Mikkelsen (October 21, 1928 – November 21, 2013) was an American professional basketball player. One of the National Basketball Association's first power forwards in the 1950s, he was known for his tenacious defense and ...
,
Larry Foust Laurence Michael Foust (June 24, 1928 – October 27, 1984) was an American basketball player who spent 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), most notably with the Fort Wayne Pistons and Minneapolis Lakers. In a twelve-year c ...
or
Rudy LaRusso Rudolph A. LaRusso (November 11, 1937 – July 9, 2004) was an American professional basketball player who was a five-time All-Star in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was nicknamed "Roughhouse Rudy." Early life LaRusso was Jewish ...
. The team reached the
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven series to determine the league ...
three times (
1959 Events January * January 1 – Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance. * January 2 – Soviet lunar probe Luna 1 is the first human-made object to attain escape velocity from Earth. It reaches the ...
,
1962 The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War. Events January * January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...
and
1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
), but lost each series to the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. Over his career, Krebs posted statistics of 8.0
points per game Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player or team per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of poi ...
, 6.2
rebounds per game 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...
and 0.8
assists per game In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads directly to a score by field goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the basket. An assist is also credited when a basket is awarded due ...
. His statistically strongest season occurred in 1961–62, when he averaged 10.0 points and 7.9 rebounds. Krebs occasionally struggled with foul trouble while in the NBA. He once ranked ninth in the league in personal fouls, and committed a playoff-record five fouls in one quarter during the fifth game of the 1963 NBA Finals. Krebs also engaged in several fights with opposing players, including Boston's
Bill Russell William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played Center (basketball), center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was t ...
Bill Russell and William Francis McSweeney. ''Go Up for Glory''. Coward-McCann, 1996. 130 and
St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...
'
Bob Pettit Robert E. Lee Pettit Jr. ( ; born December 12, 1932) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association, NBA, all with the Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks (1954–1965). In ...
. Indeed, Russell once wrote, "Jim Krebs was known in the league as a man who was willing to go beyond the rules in getting his man." Though he could be aggressive on the court, teammates described Krebs as fun-loving and charismatic. ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' sportswriter Jim Murray once wrote, "Time and again I've seen him make a team that was about to cry, laugh."Vahe Gregorian. "The memories remain strong: Jim Krebs of Webster Groves was a star on the court and in the hearts of many people." ''
St. Louis Post-Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the '' Belleville News-Democra ...
''. February 18, 2007.


Plane crash survivor

On one evening in 1960, the Lakers' team plane experienced electrical problems and crashed into a field near
Carroll, Iowa Carroll is a city in, and the county seat of, Carroll County, Iowa, United States, along the Middle Raccoon River. The population was 10,321 in the 2020 census. History Carroll was laid out in 1867. It took its name from Carroll County, wh ...
. All the passengers survived, and Krebs later wrote an account of the crash for ''Sports Illustrated''. His article took a humorous tone. Describing a
hearse A hearse () is a large vehicle, originally a horse carriage but later with the introduction of motor vehicles, a car, used to carry the body of a deceased person in a coffin to a funeral, wake, or graveside service. They range from deliberately ...
which arrived at the scene, he wrote, "I'm positive I detected a slightly disappointed look when the driver found out everyone was all right." He also joked that his wife asked him, "Where have you been? Carol who?" when he called home to report what happened.


Post-basketball

After retiring from basketball in 1964, Krebs became a
loan officer Loan officers evaluate, authorize, or recommend approval of loan applications for people and businesses. Most loan officers are employed by commercial banks, credit unions, mortgage companies, and related financial institutions. Mortgage loan off ...
at a bank in
Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills ...
. He built a home for his wife and children in Woodland Hills. Krebs apparently was afraid of death, remarking to teammates that he believed he wouldn't live to 33. On May 6, 1965, Krebs was suddenly killed while trying to remove a tree that had fallen onto his neighbor's roof during a storm. A limb from the tree struck him in the head as it fell from the roof in an uncontrolled fashion that crushed his skull and chest.https://nypost.com/2009/02/08/1960-lakers-will-never-forget-plane-crash-that-changed-their-lives/ His wife was pregnant with a son, who was born two months later. Krebs was posthumously elected to the
Texas Sports Hall of Fame The Texas Sports Hall of Fame recognizes sportsperson, athletes, coach (sport), coaches, and administrators who have made "lasting fame and honor to Sports in Texas, Texas sports". It was established in 1951 by the Texas Sports Writers Association ...
in 1976. His number 32 jersey was retired at SMU in 2002.


Career statistics


NBA

Source


Regular season


Playoffs


Notes


External links


Jim Krebs at Basketball-Reference
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krebs, Jim 1935 births 1965 deaths Accidental deaths in California All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Missouri Centers (basketball) Los Angeles Lakers players Minneapolis Lakers draft picks Minneapolis Lakers players Sportspeople from Webster Groves, Missouri Power forwards SMU Mustangs men's basketball players Webster Groves High School alumni