Toon van Helfteren
{{Short description|Dutch basketball player and coach}}
{{family name hatnote|van Helfteren|Helfteren|lang=Dutch}}{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Toon van Helfteren
| image = Toon van Helfteren.jpg
| caption = Van Helfteren in 2011
| position = Head coach
| team =
| league =
| height_m = 2.01
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1951|2|20}}
| birth_place = Tilburg, Netherlands
| nationality = Dutch
| career_start = 1971
| career_end = 1983
| coach_start = 1990
| years1 = 1971–1983
| team1 = Punch Delft
| years2 = 1983–1986
| team2 = Elmex Leiden
| years3 = 1986–1990
| team3 = DAS Delft
| cyears1 = 1990–1992
| cteam1 = DAS Delft
| cyears2 = 1997–1998
| cteam2 = EBBC Den Bosch
| cyears4 = 2000–2001
| cteam4 = Virtus Werkendam
| cyears3 = 1999-2000
| cteam3 = DAS Delft U22
| cyears5 = 2001–2005
| cteam5 = EBBC Den Bosch
| cyears6 = 2005–2006
| cteam6 = Amsterdam Astronauts
| cyears7 = 2007–2008
| cteam7 = Rotterdam
| cyears8 = 2008–2014
| cteam8 = ZZ Leiden
| cyears9 = 2013–2019
| cteam9 = Netherlands
| cyears10 = 2019–2023
| cteam10 = Feyenoord
| highlights = As player:
- DBL champion (1975)
- DBL Most Valuable Player (1986)
- 2× DBL All-Defense Team (1975, 1980)
- 2× Dutch Cup champion (1974, 1978)
- 6× DBL All-Star (1976, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1988)
As coach:
- 2× DBL champion (2011, 2013)
- 2× Dutch Cup champion (2010, 2012)
- 2× Dutch Supercup champion (2011, 2012)
- 4× DBL Coach of the Year (2003, 2010–2012)
}}
Anton J. J. "Toon" van Helfteren (born 20 February 1951) is a Dutch former basketball player and current coach. Van Helfteren played in the Dutch Basketball League from 1971 till 1990. He was the coach of ZZ Leiden from 2008 till 2014. He also was the coach of the Dutch national basketball team for six years, starting in 2013 and ending in 2019.
Professional career
A product of BC Paulus Tilburg in his hometown, he joined Punch Delft in 1971.{{Cite web |date=2019-04-27 |title=Onmetelijke dankbaarheid, basketbaldier Toon van Helfteren verdient zijn lintje {{!}} Leon Kersten |url=https://leonkerstenbasketbal.nl/2019/04/27/onmetelijke-dankbaarheid-basketbaldier-toon-van-helfteren-verdient-zijn-lintje/ |access-date=2022-08-03 |language=nl}} Van Helfteren played 19 seasons in the Dutch Eredivisie from 1971 till 1990. Between 1983 and 1986 van Helfteren was a member of Elmex Leiden, from 1986 to 1990 for DAS Delft. In 1986 Van Helfteren won the Dutch MVP award.[http://j-dus.com/mvp-competitiem/ MVP award at j-dus.com (history of Dutch basketball)] {{in lang|nl}}
National team career
Van Helfteren played 207 games for the Dutch national basketball team, which makes him the all-time leader in games played for the Netherlands.[http://www.basketball.nl/algemeen/nieuws/nieuws/!/3269/bijzonderemijlpaalvoorbondscoachtoonvanhelfteren Special milestone for coach Van Helfteren at NBB.nl (25 July 2013)] {{in lang|nl}} He debuted on 12 December 1971, against Czechoslovakia in Bremerhaven.
Coaching career
In 2008, Van Helfteren became the coach of Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden. With Leiden, Van Helfteren won the Dutch national championship twice: in 2011 and 2013. He has also won the DBL Coach of the Year award three times when he was with ZZ, in 2010, 2011 and 2012. After the 2013–14 season Van Helfteren left the team, which he won six trophies with.{{Cite news | title = Leiden neemt afscheid van Van Helfteren | url = http://www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1021/Meer-sport/article/detail/3654561/2014/05/13/Leiden-neemt-afscheid-van-Van-Helfteren.dhtml | work = Ad.nl | date = 2014-05-13 | accessdate = 2014-05-14 | language = Dutch}}
On 15 April 2019, Feyenoord Basketball announced van Helfteren had signed a two-year contract with the team starting from the 2019–20 season.{{cite web|url=https://basketballleague.nl/nieuws/4825|title=Van Helfteren naar Feyenoord|work=basketballleague.nl|accessdate=15 April 2019}} On 10 June 2022, van Helfteren and Feyenoord extended his contract for one more season.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-10 |title=Toon van Helfteren langer bij Feyenoord Basketball |url=https://www.feyenoordbasketball.nl/toon-van-helfteren-langer-bij-feyenoord-basketball/ |access-date=2022-06-10 |website=Zeeuw & Zeeuw Feyenoord Basketball |language=en-US}}
On 21 April 2023, Feyenoord released Van Helfteren of his duties after a negative streak in the second half of the season.{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-04-21 |title=Feyenoord Basketball en coach Van Helfteren uit elkaar |url=https://www.feyenoordbasketball.nl/feyenoord-basketball-en-coach-van-helfteren-uit-elkaar/ |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=Zeeuw & Zeeuw Feyenoord Basketball |language=en-US}}
= National team =
Van Helfteren was the head coach of the Netherlands national men's team three stints, from 1993 to 1997, from 2013 to 2015 and from 2015 to 2019. He guided the Netherlands to the EuroBasket 2017, the country's first appearance since 1987 (30 years before).{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}
Personal
In April 2019, Van Helfteren was knighted into the Order of Orange-Nassau for his services for Dutch basketball. He lives in Delft.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}
References
{{reflist}}{{navboxes|list1=
{{DBL Season MVP}}
{{B.S. Leiden coaches}}
{{Feyenoord Basketbal coaches}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Helfteren, van Toon}}
Category:Amsterdam Basketball coaches
Category:Dutch basketball coaches
Category:Dutch Basketball League players
Category:Dutch men's basketball players
Category:Feyenoord Basketball coaches
Category:Heroes Den Bosch coaches
Category:Sportspeople from Tilburg
Category:Basketball players from North Brabant