View source for Frank Lubin

{{Short description|Lithuanian-American basketball player}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| image = Frank Lubin EuroBasket 1939.jpg
| caption = Frank Lubin during [[EuroBasket 1939]]
| number =
| position = [[Center (basketball)|Center]]
| nationality = American / Lithuanian
| birth_date = {{birth date|1910|1|7}}
| birth_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1999|7|8|1910|1|7}}
| death_place = [[Glendale, California]], U.S.
| height = 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
| weight = 232 lb (105 kg)
| high_school = [[Abraham Lincoln High School (Los Angeles)|Lincoln]] (Los Angeles, California)
| college = [[UCLA Bruins men's basketball|UCLA]] (1928–1931)
| medaltemplates =
{{Medal|Sport|Men's [[basketball]]}}
{{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }}
{{MedalOlympics}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Berlin]]|[[Basketball at the 1936 Summer Olympics|Team competition]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{LTU}} }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[FIBA EuroBasket]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[EuroBasket 1939|1939 Kaunas]]|Team competition}}
}}

'''Frank John Lubin''' ({{langx|lt|Pranas Jonas Lubinas}}; January 7, 1910 – July 8, 1999) was a [[Lithuanian Americans|Lithuanian-American]] [[basketball]] player. He played [[college basketball]] for the [[UCLA Bruins men's basketball|UCLA Bruins]] from 1928 to 1931. In 1997, Lubin was inducted into the [[UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame]]. He was also inducted into the Helms Sports Hall of Fame.

For his early contributions to the success of [[basketball in Lithuania]], Lubin is nicknamed the 'Godfather of Basketball' in [[Lithuania]].<ref name="Meyers"/>

==Early life==
Lubin was born on the east side of [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], to a family of [[Lithuanian Americans|Lithuanian immigrants]], who were born in [[Lithuania]], and he died in [[Glendale, California]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baker |first=Chris |date=1990-07-02 |title=Frank Lubin, a Big Man in Two Countries : Basketball: He helped U.S. win Olympic gold medal in 1936, and later introduced the sport to Lithuania, where his parents were born. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-02-sp-473-story.html |access-date=2024-04-14 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref><ref name="Meyers">{{cite web |last1=Meyers |first1=Jeff |title=Recalling a Distant Dream Team: Lubin Played on '36 U.S. Olympic Basketball Squad That Swept to the Gold in an Era of Far Less Glitter |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-08-12-sp-5178-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=8 August 2025 |date=12 August 1992}}</ref> A veteran with the [[United States Army Air Forces]] during [[World War II]], Lubin was buried at [[Riverside National Cemetery]], in [[Riverside, California]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Frank Lubin, 89; Basketball Olympian |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jul-13-me-55532-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=April 12, 2019 |date=July 13, 1999}}</ref> His father, Konstantinas Lubinas, was from [[Vilkaviškis]], while his mother, Paulina Vasiliauskaitė, was from [[Vabalninkas]].<ref>Stanislovas Stonkus "Krepšinio kelias į Lietuvą" (page: 42)</ref>

==Basketball career==

===High school===
When Lubin grew up to a height of {{height|ft=6|in=7}} at [[Abraham Lincoln High School (Los Angeles)|Lincoln High School]], classmates encouraged him to try out for the basketball team. Gangly and uncoordinated, Lubin struggled to improve his game, but was eventually named to the All-City Second Team as a senior in 1927.<ref name=lat/>

===College career===
While playing [[college basketball]] at the [[University of California, Los Angeles]], from 1928 to 1931, Lubin earned All-Pacific Coast Conference honors in his senior season with the [[UCLA Bruins men's basketball|Bruins]].

===U.S. national team===
Following his college career, he worked as a [[stagehand]] at [[Universal Pictures]], and joined the studio's [[Amateur Athletic Union|AAU]] team, which earned the right to represent the U.S. as part of the first [[Basketball at the Summer Olympics|Olympic basketball tournament]] in [[Basketball at the 1936 Summer Olympics|1936]], where he won the gold.<ref name=lat>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-02-sp-473-story.html Frank Lubin, a Big Man in Two Countries]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uclabruins.com/genrel/121797aad.html |title=UCLA BRUINS - Athletics News |access-date=2010-12-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125224552/http://www.uclabruins.com/genrel/121797aad.html |archive-date=2012-01-25 }}</ref>

===Lithuanian national team===
[[File:Lithuania men's national basketball team at EuroBasket 1939.jpg|thumb|left|Lubin (first) holding the [[Flag of Lithuania|national flag of Lithuania]] after winning the [[EuroBasket 1939]]]]
During the [[Basketball at the 1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Summer Olympics]], Lubin was invited to come to [[Lithuania]], and he became their first national team [[head coach]]. During Lubin's first visit to Lithuania his sister-in-law broke her leg while riding to countryside with a wagon, which tipped over, therefore Lubin had to stay with his wife in Lithuania for longer than expected until she recovered and Lubin was asked to train Lithuanian athletes about basketball.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Frank J. Lubin |journal=Olympian Oral History |date=1988 |page=17 |publisher=LA84 Foundation |url=https://cdm17103.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/api/collection/p17103coll11/id/217/download |access-date=8 August 2025}}</ref> They won the [[EuroBasket]] title in [[EuroBasket 1937|1937]], using American-born players of Lithuanian heritage.<ref name=si>{{Cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1189174/index.htm |title=The ice age could be coming to the NBA, - 08.15.11 - SI Vault |access-date=2011-08-13 |archive-date=2011-10-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111010052029/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1189174/index.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> When the team hosted the EuroBasket in [[EuroBasket 1939|1939]], they again won the title, this time with Lubin, acting as a [[player-coach]]. Lubin the de facto [[FIBA EuroBasket MVP|MVP]] of EuroBasket 1939, however he was unable to receive the award, because he was taller than {{height|ft=6|in=3}}, and [[FIBA]] had a rule at the time, which prohibited the award to be given to players at such a height.<ref>Stanislovas Stonkus "Krepšinio kelias į Lietuvą" (page: 39)</ref> According to the 1939 edition of Lithuanian magazine ''[[Trimitas]]'', "The biggest pillar of our team was Lubinas, 2-3 away players would run around him and protect him as best they could. However, Lubinas, being covered by the away players, did not try to shoot the ball himself, but knew how to pass the ball well to his teammates, who made the most of the opportunities."<ref name="Grikstaite">{{cite web |last1=Grikštaitė |first1=Gintarė |title=Neskelbti krepšinio čempiono atsiminimai: Lubino reikšmė, valstybinis sutikimas ir į diplomatinį skandalą peraugęs latvių pyktis |url=https://www.lrt.lt/naujienos/sportas/10/1314035/neskelbti-krepsinio-cempiono-atsiminimai-lubino-reiksme-valstybinis-sutikimas-ir-i-diplomatini-skandala-perauges-latviu-pyktis |website=Lithuanian National Radio and Television |access-date=9 August 2025 |language=lt |date=23 January 2021}}</ref> Lubinas intended to settle in the land of his father in the surroundings of [[Lukšiai]] in Lithuania and dreamed of leading Lithuania at the [[1940 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Poderys |first1=Romas |title=Krepšinio legendos ūgis baugino varžovus |url=https://www.krepsinis.net/naujiena/krepsinio-legendos-ugis-baugino-varzovus/78874 |website=Krepsinis.net |access-date=9 August 2025 |language=lt}}</ref> According to Lubin, he established American-style basketball in Lithuania.<ref name="Meyers"/>

[[File:Frank Lubin with family 1951.jpg|thumb|175px|Lubin with his wife, daughter and son in 1951]]
When [[World War II]] broke out in 1939, Lubin was in Italy, coaching a Lithuanian women's team. Given that [[Nazi Germany]] was directly on the path back to Lithuania, Italian officials had to help the team to get back, through train and boat, avoiding Germany.<ref name=lat/> Afterwards, Lubin fled Lithuania to California with his family, in the face of the [[1940 Soviet ultimatum to Lithuania|upcoming Soviet invasion]] that happened one year later.<ref name=si/> Lubin continued to play for the 20th Century Fox team until 1955, when knee problems prompted him to retire. For his contributions and for introducing the now basketball-mad country of Lithuania to the sport, Lubin is often called the "grandfather of Lithuanian basketball".<ref name=lat/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/lu/frank-lubin-1.html |title=Frank Lubin Biography and Olympic Results &#124; Olympics at Sports-Reference.com |access-date=2009-01-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211041620/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/lu/frank-lubin-1.html |archive-date=2012-02-11 }} sports-reference.com</ref>

Despite being an international basketball star of his era, Lubin never made any money off basketball.<ref name="Meyers"/> However, Lubin was offered a $7,000 contract ($2,000 less than he was at the time making at the [[20th Century Studios]]) by the [[History of the Los Angeles Lakers|Minneapolis Lakers]].<ref name="Meyers"/>

In a 1989 interview Lubin narrated that "when after the war the Russian squad almost defeated USA, some were congratulating me, others were reproachful as they never heard that the Russians were playing basketball. After the war they were using these Lithuanians who I once trained. They took over many techniques and tactics knowledges. I was always observing from far when basketball traditions blossomed in Lithuania and gave such international stars like Arvydas Sabonis. I was proud that the Lithuanians shined more than the others in Seoul. It was mine team. Lithuanian team defeated the Americans, I was telling to the media..."<ref>{{cite journal|language=Lithuanian|url=http://www.eurobasket.lt/old/lt/interviu/2847/?all=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402102816/http://www.eurobasket.lt/old/lt/interviu/2847/?all=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-04-02|title=Iš "Amerikos balso" archyvų: apie krepšinio pradžią Lietuvoje|access-date=2015-02-16|date=1989|journal=Krepšinio pasaulis|issue=1}}</ref>

In a 1992 interview Lubin said that he was "filled with pride" when he saw Lithuania competing again as an independent country at the [[Basketball at the 1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Summer Olympics]].<ref name="Meyers"/>

==See also==
* [[List of FIBA EuroBasket winning head coaches]]

==References==
'''Footnotes'''
{{Reflist}}

'''Bibliography'''
* Vidas Mačiulis, Vytautas Gudelis. Halė, kurioje žaidė Lubinas ir Sabonis. 1939–1989 – Respublikinis sporto kombinatas, Kaunas, 1989

==External links==
* {{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/lu/frank-lubin-1.html |title=Frank Lubin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211041620/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/lu/frank-lubin-1.html |archive-date=2012-02-11 |url-status=dead}}
* {{Find a Grave|9753}}
* [http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OralHistory/OHLubin.pdf Olympic Oral History interview with Frank Lubin (1988)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120402172412/http://157.166.255.30/index.php?title=Frank_Lubin Frank Lubin page on Hoopedia.NBA]
* [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-aug-20-tm-7323-story.html Los Angeles Times Interview with Mary Agnes Lubin]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110721071556/http://vilnius.usembassy.gov/amb_speeches/85-anniversary.html "Captain of the United States Olympic Basketball Team in 1936 was Frank Lubinas" - U.S. Ambassador John A. Cloud]

{{Navboxes|list=
{{United States Men Basketball Squad 1936 Summer Olympics}}
{{Lithuania Squad EuroBasket 1939}}
{{1941 AAU Men's Basketball All-Americans}}
{{1945 AAU Men's Basketball All-Americans}}
{{EuroBasket MVP Award}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lubin, Frank}}
[[Category:1910 births]]
[[Category:1999 deaths]]
[[Category:Amateur Athletic Union men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American people of Lithuanian descent]]
[[Category:Basketball players at the 1936 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Burials at Riverside National Cemetery]]
[[Category:FIBA EuroBasket–winning coaches]]
[[Category:FIBA EuroBasket–winning players]]
[[Category:Lithuanian men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball]]
[[Category:UCLA Bruins men's basketball players]]
[[Category:United States men's national basketball team players]]
[[Category:Centers (basketball)]]