Esko Karhunen

Esko Karhunen
Personal information
Born4 January 1928[1]
Helsinki, Finland
Died8 March 2016(2016-03-08) (aged 88)
Helsinki, Finland
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Career history
1944–1960Kiri-Veikot / HOK-Veikot / Pantterit
Career highlights and awards

Esko Ensio ”Sir Emal” Karhunen (4 January 1928 – 8 March 2016) was a Finnish basketball player and contributor.[clarification needed]

The 183-centimetre-tall (6 ft 0 in) Karhunen spent his whole SM-sarja career at Pantterit basketball club, and its predecessors, in Helsinki, and was in a record 13 Finnish championship-winning teams. He was also capped eight times for the Finland men's national team and represented his country at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.[2]

After his career as a player, Karhunen was a basketball contributor [clarification needed] in Pantterit. He organized a practice tournament which was played between 1971–2000 and brought the Harlem Globetrotters to Finland.[3][4][5]

Karhunen was inducted into the Finnish Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.[6] Karhunen died on 8 March 2016 in Helsinki at 88 years of age.[7]

  1. ^ "Koripallon arvokisoissa pelanneet suomalaismiehet". Suomen Urheilutietäjät ry. 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2015. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
  2. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Esko Karhunen Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  3. ^ Esko Karhunen – Finnish Basketball Association
  4. ^ National Team Statistics – Finnish Basketball Association
  5. ^ Esko Karhunen – Finnish Basketball Museum
  6. ^ "Salmi, Hakola ja Karhunen Suomi-koriksen Hall of Fameen". Finnish Basketball Association. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  7. ^ "Koripallolegenda Esko Karhunen on poissa". Finnish Basketball Association. 9 March 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2016.