Jaak Lipso (18 April 1940 – 3 March 2023) was an Estonian professional basketball player who competed for the Soviet Union. He is the only Estonian basketball player who has won two medals at the Olympic Games.[1] Lipso also won two medals at the FIBA World Championship and was a three-time Eurobasket champion with the Soviet Union national basketball team.[2] He was a member of the Soviet Union national team from 1961 to 1970. After his active career Lipso became a basketball coach,[3] and was elected to the Estonian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.[4]

Jaak Lipso
Personal information
Born(1940-04-18)18 April 1940
Tallinn, Estonia
Died3 March 2023(2023-03-03) (aged 82)
Tallinn, Estonia
Listed height200 cm (6 ft 7 in)
Listed weight209 lb (95 kg)
Career information
Playing career1956–1981
PositionCenter
Career history
1956–1960TRÜ
1960–1962Rīgas ASK
1962–1969CSKA Moscow
1969–1975Kalev
1975–1981Harju KEK
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's Basketball
Representing  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1964 Tokyo Team Competition
Bronze medal – third place 1968 Mexico City Team Competition
World Championship
Gold medal – first place Uruguay 1967 USSR
Bronze medal – third place Yugoslavia 1970 USSR
EuroBasket
Gold medal – first place Poland 1963 USSR
Gold medal – first place USSR 1965 USSR
Gold medal – first place Finland 1967 USSR

Lipso died on 3 March 2023, at age 82.[5]

Club career

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Lipso's career started at the age of 16 when he joined TRÜ basketball team (now Tartu Ülikool/Rock) in 1956. He played there for four seasons winning two Soviet Estonian titles (1958, 1959). After that he played a season with Rīgas ASK in Soviet Latvia before moving to European powerhouse CSKA Moscow. He spent the next eight years with the team winning two Euroleague titles (1963, 1969) and six USSR League championship titles (1962–1966, 1969). Lipso then moved to Tallinna Kalev for two years and then to Harju KEK winning two more Soviet Estonian titles (1974, 1979).

Achievements

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National Team

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Club

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References

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  1. ^ "Jaak Lipso Biography and Statistics Archived 2012-03-03 at the Wayback Machine". Sports-Reference. Retrieved on 2009-02-05
  2. ^ "Jaak Lipso". FIBA Europe. Retrieved on 2009-02-05
  3. ^ Eesti Elulood. Tallinn: Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus 2000 (= Eesti Entsüklopeedia 14) ISBN 9985-70-064-3, p. 252.
  4. ^ Eesti korvpall 100 - Kuulsuste Hall - Jaak Lipso
  5. ^ Mihkel Eller, Karl (3 March 2023). "Suri Eesti korvpallilegend Jaak Lipso". Postimees. Retrieved 3 March 2023.

Further reading

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  • Lääne, Tiit (2006). Eesti olümpiamedalivõitjad 1912–2006. Eesti Olümpiakomitee. pp. 132–133. ISBN 9949-427-25-8.
  • Lään, Vello; Ibrus, Märt (2006). Eesti korvpall portreed. Eesti Korvpalliliit. pp. 143–158. ISBN 9949-406-68-4.
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