León David Najnudel (14 July 1941 – 22 April 1998) was an
Argentine professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player and
basketball coach
Basketball coaching is the act of directing and strategizing the behavior of a basketball team or individual basketball player. Basketball coaching typically encompasses the improvement of individual and team offensive and defensive skills, as wel ...
, and the main driving force in the creation of the
Liga Nacional de Básquet
The Liga Nacional de Básquet (abbreviated LNB, and literally in English, "National Basketball League"), also commonly referred to as "La Liga de Básquet" ("The Basketball League"), is the top-tier level of the Argentine basketball league system ...
, the first nationwide yearly professional basketball league in Argentina.
Playing career
Najnudel played for Villa Crespo, Victoria, Barracas Juniors and
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
.
Coaching career
*
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
: 1963–1971
*
Corrientes Province
Corrientes (, ‘currents’ or ‘streams’; gn, Taragui), officially the Province of Corrientes ( es, Provincia de Corrientes; gn, Taragüí Tetãmini) is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. It is surrounded by (fr ...
youth team: 1971–1975
*
Ferro Carril Oeste
Club Ferro Carril Oeste, known simply as Ferro Carril Oeste or familiarly, Ferro, is an Argentine sports club from the neighbourhood of Caballito, Buenos Aires. Although many activities are hosted by the club, Ferro is mostly known for its foot ...
: 1976–1982
*
CB Zaragoza
Club Baloncesto Zaragoza is a basketball team based in Zaragoza, Aragón, who played from 1981 to 1996 in the top Spanish league (Liga ACB since 1983) and now plays in the 1ª División, the fifth tier. Most of the years in which the team played ...
(
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
): 1983–1984
*
Argentina national basketball team
The Argentina men's national basketball team ( Spanish: ''Selección de baloncesto de Argentina'') represents Argentina in men's international basketball officially nicknamed ''The Argentine Soul'' (Spanish: ''El Alma Argentina''), and it is ...
: 1985
*
Sport Club Cañadense: 1986–1988
*
Ferro Carril Oeste
Club Ferro Carril Oeste, known simply as Ferro Carril Oeste or familiarly, Ferro, is an Argentine sports club from the neighbourhood of Caballito, Buenos Aires. Although many activities are hosted by the club, Ferro is mostly known for its foot ...
: 1988–1990
*
Deportivo San Andrés: 1991
*
Gimnasia y Esgrima de Comodoro Rivadavia
Club Gimnasia y Esgrima de Comodoro Rivadavia is an Argentine basketball and team handball club based in the city of Comodoro Rivadavia in Chubut Province. The basketball team currently plays in the Liga Nacional de Básquet, the top level of th ...
: 1992–1993
*
Boca Juniors: 1994–1995
*
Racing Club: 1995
*
Ferro Carril Oeste
Club Ferro Carril Oeste, known simply as Ferro Carril Oeste or familiarly, Ferro, is an Argentine sports club from the neighbourhood of Caballito, Buenos Aires. Although many activities are hosted by the club, Ferro is mostly known for its foot ...
: 1996
Honours
;Ferro Carril Oeste
*
Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes: 1981, 1982
*
Liga Nacional de Básquet
The Liga Nacional de Básquet (abbreviated LNB, and literally in English, "National Basketball League"), also commonly referred to as "La Liga de Básquet" ("The Basketball League"), is the top-tier level of the Argentine basketball league system ...
: 1989
;CB Zaragoza
*
Copa del Rey de Baloncesto: 1983
Stats
*League games: 448 games with 241 wins and 207 losses. (53,80%)
*Regular Series: 388 games with 207 wins and 181 losses. (53.35%)
*Post-Season: 60 games with 34 wins and 26 losses. (56.66%)
Liga Nacional de Básquet
Najnudel, along coaches
José María Cavallero and
Horacio Seguí, as well as journalist
Osvaldo Ricardo Orcasitas, were the main proponents of the creation of the
Liga Nacional de Básquet
The Liga Nacional de Básquet (abbreviated LNB, and literally in English, "National Basketball League"), also commonly referred to as "La Liga de Básquet" ("The Basketball League"), is the top-tier level of the Argentine basketball league system ...
. The goal was finally achieved on 26 April 1985, when the first game of the league was played.
The new nationwide league allowed basketball to grow in cities other than
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, like in
Bahía Blanca and
Córdoba, that became important basketball centers.
Death
Najnudel died of
leukemia
Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ...
in 1998.
[
]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Najnudel, Leon
1941 births
1998 deaths
Argentine men's basketball players
Basketball players from Buenos Aires
Argentine basketball coaches
Jewish Argentine sportspeople
Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Deaths from leukemia
CB Zaragoza players