Dirk Dunbar
{{short description|American basketball player and coach}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Dirk Dunbar
| position = Guard
| image =
| height_cm = 183
| weight_kg =
| league =
| team =
| number =
| nationality = American
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1953|10|28}}
| birth_place =
| high_school =
| college =
- Central Michigan (1972–1974)
- Eckerd (1976–1977)
| draft_year =
| career_start =
| career_end =
| career_number= 12
| years1 = 1977–1979 | team1 = ÍS
| cyears1 = 1977–1978 | cteam1 = ÍS (women's)
| highlights =
As player:
- Úrvalsdeild karla scoring champion (1978)
- Icelandic Cup winner (1978)
As coach:
- Icelandic Women's champion (1978)
- Icelandic Women's Cup winner (1978)
| medaltemplates =
}}
Dirk Dunbar (born 28 October 1953) is an American former basketball player and coach. He was one of the first foreign players to play in Iceland where he led the Úrvalsdeild karla in scoring and won the Icelandic Cup in 1978.
College career
Dunbar played basketball for Central Michigan University{{cite news |title=Mestan áhuga á að skrifa |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=3071474 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Dagblaðið |date=13 September 1977 |pages=12–13 |language=Icelandic}} and was the Mid-American Conference third leading scorer as a freshman.{{cite web |title=1972–73 Mid-American Conference Player Stats |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/conferences/mac/1973-stats.html |website=sports-reference.com |publisher=Sports Reference |accessdate=1 August 2018}} He was plagued by injuries during his stay at Central Michigan, missing all but 11 games of his sophomore season due to two knee surgeries. He red shirted his junior year before deciding to transfer to Eckerd College in January 1976.{{cite news |author1=Ron Kirkwood |title=Dunbar transfers to Florida college |url=https://cmuhistory.cmich.edu/cgi-bin/cmuhistory?a=d&d=IsabellaCML19760119.1.31 |work=Central Michigan Life |date=19 January 1976 |page=31}} At Eckerd, he set the schools single game and season scoring records.{{cite web |title=Men's Basketball Individual Single Game Records |url=https://eckerdtritons.com/sports/2018/6/15/mens-basketball-individual-single-game-records.aspx?id=120 |website=eckerdtritons.com |publisher=Eckerd Tritons |accessdate=1 August 2018}}{{cite web |title=Men's Basketball Single Season Records |url=https://eckerdtritons.com/sports/2018/6/8/mens-basketball-single-season-records.aspx?id=117 |website=eckerdtritons.com |publisher=Eckerd Tritons |accessdate=1 August 2018}}
Club career
Dunbar signed with ÍS of the top-tier Icelandic basketball league in July 1977.{{cite news |title=Kemur meira til að læra íslensku, en að spila körfubolta |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=2856211 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Þjóðviljinn |date=19 July 1977 |language=Icelandic}} His first games came during the Reykjavík Basketball Tournament where he broke the nations single game scoring record on October 8, by scoring 58 points against Fram, breaking Þórir Magnússon's previous record of 57 points.{{cite news |title=Dunbar skoraði 58 stig gegn Fram |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=4103567 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Vísir |date=10 October 1977 |page=16 |language=Icelandic}}{{cite news |title=Dunbar óstöðvandi |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=1491377 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=11 October 1977 |language=Icelandic}} Shortly after, Dunbar sprained his ankle badly on practice and missed the rest of the tournament.{{cite news |title=Það var hryllileg tilhugsun |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=3369621 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Vísir |date=27 November 1977 |page=4 |language=Icelandic}} He returned to the court a month later, scoring 20 points in ÍS 99–73 victory against Ármann in the top-tier 1. deild karla.{{cite news |title=ÍS var ekki í vandræðum með Ármann |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=1492864 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=18 November 1977 |page=30 |language=Icelandic}} ÍS finished the season tied with Valur for the 3–4th place with a 10–4 record.{{cite news |title=KR-ingar réðu ekki við stórleik Dirk Dunbars |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=3907563 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Tíminn |date=21 March 1978 |page=12 |language=Icelandic}} Dunbar led the league in scoring, with 459 points in 13 games,{{cite news |title=Dirk Dunbar stigahæstur |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=1497099 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=21 March 1978 |language=Icelandic}} and free throw percent with 92.9%, both league records.{{cite news |title=Árangur Dunbars betri en áður hefur náðst |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=1497099 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=21 March 1978 |language=Icelandic}}
On 30 March, Dunbar lead ÍS to the Icelandic Cup, beating Valur 87–83 in the Cup finals.{{cite news |title=Hockenos leikmaður mótsins |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=1497496 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=4 April 1978 |language=Icelandic}}
Dunbar resigned with ÍS for the 1978–1979 season.{{cite news |title=Öll liðin með erlenda leikmenn |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=3911143 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Tíminn |date=16 August 1978 |page=15 |language=Icelandic}} On 1 October 1978, he broke his own scoring record by scoring 61 points in an overtime loss against Ármann in the Reykjavík Basketball Tournament.{{cite news |author1=Gylfi Kristjánsson |title=Tvær framlengingar, er KR og Ármann unnu Fram og ÍS |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=3378104 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Vísir |date=2 October 1978 |page=15 |language=Icelandic}}
On 30 October, Dunbar suffered injury on his left knee in a game against ÍR{{cite news |title=Ekki brotinn en meiddur á hné |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=3080694 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Dagblaðið |date=30 October 1978 |page=16 |language=Icelandic}} and went back to Michigan for surgery.{{cite news |author1=Gylfi Kristjánsson |title=Dunbar á sjúkrahús í Michigan! |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=3379199 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Vísir |date=1 November 1978 |page=12 |language=Icelandic}} He returned in time for ÍS games against FC Barcelona in the FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup.{{cite news |author1=Gylfi Kristjánsson |title=Dunbar er tilbúinn og klár í slaginn! |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=3379605 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Vísir |date=16 November 1978 |page=15 |language=Icelandic}} In January 1979, Dunbar left ÍS to undergo a season ending surgery on his troublesome knee.{{cite news |title=Stúdentar með nýjan mann |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=1508944 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=26 January 1979 |page=30 |language=Icelandic}}
After recovering from his injuries, Dunbar signed with Darmstadt in Germany in 1980.{{cite news |title=Dunbar leikur listir sínar gegn Valsmönnum |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=3964031 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Tíminn |date=10 September 1980 |page=15 |language=Icelandic}}{{cite news |title=Dunbar leikur með Stúdentum |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=3443908 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Vísir |date=11 September 1980 |language=Icelandic}}{{cite news |title=Snillingurinn Dunbar aftur á Íslandi |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=3096491 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Dagblaðið |date=13 September 1980 |language=Icelandic}}
Coaching career
Dunbar coached ÍS women's team for the 1977–1978 season, leading them to victory in the nations all three major competitions, the Icelandic championship,{{cite news |title=Glæsilegur árangur ÍS |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=1498049 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=18 April 1978 |page=22 |language=Icelandic}} the Icelandic Cup,{{cite news |title=ÍS sigraði KR létt í úrslitunum |url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=2860101 |accessdate=1 August 2018 |work=Þjóðviljinn |date=4 April 1978 |page=12 |language=Icelandic}} and the Reykjavík Basketball Tournament.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/dirk-dunbar-1.html Profile] at sports-reference.com
- [http://gamli.kki.is/tolfraedi_ferill_leikmanns.asp?Felaganumer=115101 Úrvalsdeild karla statistics (1978–1979)] at kki.is
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dunbar, Dirk}}
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Iceland
Category:Central Michigan Chippewas men's basketball players
Category:Eckerd Tritons men's basketball players
Category:ÍS men's basketball players
Category:ÍS women's basketball coaches