The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. Those of you who were looking forward to the 2020 Olympics opening ceremonies in Tokyo on July 24, 2020 will have to wait an extra 364 days, as the coronavirus caused a postponement until July 23, 2021. Due to the absence of college basketball since mid-March, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel decided to fill the void by trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read this summer while not watching the Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Duke Mollner about his father Art winning a gold medal in 1936.
(photo credit: the-saleroom.com)
(photo credit: reviewjournal.com)
Your father never played D-1 basketball: how did he 1st get into the sport? He played a little ball at LA City College but was just an athletic guy. He later joined the police department and played for them. He enjoyed playing ball even though there were no pro leagues back then. He was on a team that won the national finals and most of his teammates went to the Olympics.
He played on some AAU basketball teams in the Los Angeles area: how good a player was he back in the day? AAU basketball was the big sport back then and the AAU team that won its local league would play in a regional playoff.
He made the 1936 US Olympic team after winning the Olympic trials as part of the Universal Pictures team: how big a deal was it for him to be part of the very 1st Olympic basketball team? It was huge! I was not born until 5 years later but he was extremely proud of that fact. I still have his gold medal, which is wonderful. When he joined the LAPD they were well aware of his accomplishments and made him their coach.
What did it mean to him to represent his country? Knowing him I think that it was 1 of the greatest honors he could achieve because he was very patriotic. Listening to his stories and seeing all of his paraphernalia, I know that he felt very privileged to have been on that team.
What did it mean to him to win a gold medal? I think it was 1 of the highlights of his life. He was not a braggart but always quick to follow the sport as it became a pro sport and gave us his take on everything. During every Olympic year there were all sorts of offers for him to appear on a cruise ship or give a speech to an organization. It was quite a continuous honor because there was something made of it every 4 years.
For decades afterward he would get cards and letters from young Germans asking for an autograph: how did he enjoy his time in Berlin? I do not remember him talking in great detail about it but I do recall many, many requests from the German public for his autograph since he was on that team. I have photos of the ship they sailed on both ways hanging in my office. It was a very positive time before WWII and was a remarkable experience for him to travel abroad and play the sport that he loved.
In 1946 he was named an AAU All-American: what did it mean to him to receive such an outstanding honor? I had almost forgotten about that! He had a lot of cache after winning that medal and was always gracious to give interviews. He was grateful for the situation.
He played amateur basketball until age 40: how was he able to stick around the sport for so long? He was in great shape: fortunately for me I take after him physically! He was a great golfer and played basketball for a long time because it was a sport that he loved. Many opportunities opened up for him and he was very appreciative of whatever playing/coaching offers came his way.
He later became an AAU coach as well as a member of the LAPD: how did he like being a coach and how did he like being a policeman? He loved both of these things. He was good with people and had a lot of insight into the game. He was more than willing to volunteer as much of his time as possible but there were not a lot of paid positions. He loved to critique the NBA and took great pride in being a police officer. He was a detective and loved going to work after calming my mother down that everything would be okay. He had a great attitude/enthusiasm for both.
He passed away in 1995: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? I hope that he is remembered as an athlete who played the sport for the love of the sport rather than for himself. He did not care about individual accomplishments but only about his team winning championships. Back then there was a lot of shooting and not a lot of intricate defense. Most players would stick with their opponent on defense but my father was credited with the art of pressing his man before the ball even got to his side on the court. It was a turning point in the game and he was the person who came up with that strategy.
For more info about the 1936 US Olympic team check out “Sporting Labor in the Hollywood Studio System: Basketball, Universal Pictures, and the 1936 Berlin Olympics” by Professor Alex Kupfer at: https://cinema.usc.edu/spectator/35.2/2_Kupfer.pdf and “Netting Out Basketball 1936” by Rich Hughes at: www.amazon.com/Netting-Out-Basketball-1936-Remarkable/dp/1770679707