Gerald Kazanowski
Personal information
Born (1960-10-12) October 12, 1960
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
NationalityCanadian
Listed height6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High schoolNanaimo District Secondary School
(Nanaimo, British Columbia)
CollegeUniversity of Victoria (1979–1983)
NBA draft1983: 7th round, 146th overall pick
Selected by the Utah Jazz
PositionPower Forward
Number24, 8, 15
Career highlights and awards
  • 2× CIAU First Team All-Canadian (1982, 1983)
  • 2× CIAU Tournament All-Star (1981- 1983)
  • 4x CIAU national champion (1980-1983)
  • 2× Premier's Athletic Award
  • 4× CWUAA All-Star (1979–1982)
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Representing  Canada
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1983 Edmonton National team
Bronze medal – third place 1985 Kobe National team

Gerald Francis Kazanowski (born October 12, 1960) is a two-time Olympian and former professional basketball player.

Kazanowski played for the Canada men's national basketball team from 1979 - 1990,[1][2] representing Canada in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics,[1][2][3][4][5][6] three times in the World Student Games (1981, 1983, 1985)[3][4][5][7] and three times in the FIBA World Championships (1982, 1986, 1990).[2][3][4][5][7]

In 1983, Kazanowski was drafted in the seventh round by the Utah Jazz.[3][4][5][8] He later played professionally from 1984 to 1992[4][5][7][8] in Spain, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Argentina and Mexico.[3][4]

Kazanowski played for the University of Victoria from 1979 to 1983 where he won four consecutive CIAU national championships.[1][2][4][5][7] He was a two-time First Team CIAU All-Canadian (1982, 1983),[2][9] two-time recipient of the Premier's Athletic Award,[1][3][4][5][7][8] two-time CIAU Tournament All-star (1981, 1983)[2][10] and four-time Canada West All-Star.[2]

International career

Kazanowski was a member of Canada's national basketball team from 1979 to 1990.[1][2] He began his tenure on the Canadian national team in 1979 while playing in the FIBA Junior World Championship.[3][4][5][7]

He represented Canada in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.[1][2][3][4][5][6] Kazanowski obtained the second-highest points-per-game average among Canada's roster in 1984.[1][2]

These 1984 Olympics were also notable given that Canada finished 4th overall, narrowly missing a medal.[4] Also, this 1984 bronze-medal game constituted the only time in the past 80+ years where Canada has had a legitimate chance of winning an Olympic medal in basketball.[11] This bronze medal game was highly competitive, being tied 18 times with 12 lead changes, with Canada being within one point with less than a minute of play remaining.[11] Kazanowski played well in this crucial game, scoring 8 points, grabbing 6 rebounds and playing his usual formidible defense.[11] Canada also performed well in the 1988 Olympics, where they finished 6th overall.[4]

Kazanowski also represented Canada in three World Student Games tournaments (1981, 1983 and 1985).[1][2][3][4][5][7][8] Canada won the gold medal in the 1983 games, defeating the US in the semi-final match (with the US being led by future NBA legends Charles Barkley and Karl Malone).[1][2][3][8] This constituted one of the finest moments in Canadian basketball history, being the only time in which Canada has won the gold medal in an international basketball tournament.[12] In the 1985 World Student Games, Canada won the bronze medal[13][14] and in 1981, Canada placed 5th.[15]

Kazanowski also represented Canada in 3 FIBA World Championships (1982, 1986, 1990)[2][3][4][5][7] and competed against the US's "Dream Team" in the 1992 FIBA Tournament of the Americas.[3][5]

Professional career

In 1983, Kazanowski was drafted in the seventh round in the NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz.[3][4][5][8] From 1984 to 1992 he played professionally for international teams,[4][5][7][8] including in Spain (for Joventut and Baloncesto León), in Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Argentina and Mexico.[3][4]

University

Kazanowski played for the University of Victoria from 1979 to 1983.[1][2][3] He was a four-time national champion at UVic.[1][2][4][5][7][8] In his first year at UVic, he and his teammates placed second in the national tournament.[3] In the 1979–80 season, Kazanowski and his teammates had a 20–0 regular season record,[16] the first Canada West basketball team to achieve a perfect regular season record.[17]

During his time at UVic, Kazanowski was a two-time First Team CIAU All-Canadian (1981-1983),[2][9] two-time recipient of the Premier's Athletic Award,[1][3][4][5][7][8] two-time CIAU Tournament All-Star (1981, 1983)[2][10] and four-time Canada West All-Star.[1][2]

Post-career

Kazanowski was inducted in the Canada Basketball Hall of Fame (2005),[2][3][5][7] the Basketball BC Sports Hall of Fame (2006),[1] the University of Victoria Sports Hall of Fame (2006),[2] the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame (2016),[3] the Nanaimo Sports Hall of Fame (2008)[4] and the Nanaimo District Secondary School Hall of Fame.[8] In 2011, the University of Victoria retired his number 24;[3][5] Kazanowski is only one of three athletes to have his jersey retired by the university.[14]

Also, the 1979-80 University of Victoria men's basketball team was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame (2020);[16] the 1979-86 UVic teams were inducted into the Canada West Hall of Fame;[17] and the 1982-83 UVic team was inducted into the UVic Sports Hall of Fame,[18] with Kazanowski being recognized as a team member in all of these inductions.[16][17][18]

Personal life

Kazanowski was born on October 12, 1960[7] to polish immigrants.[3] He began playing basketball in his hometown of Nanaimo, B.C., in grade six.[2][3][4][5]

He graduated from UVic with a degree in economics[3][4][5][6] and is now a certified financial advisor.[5][6]

Kazanowski met his wife of 20+ years, Claudia, while he was playing professionally in Mexico.[3][5] He retired from professional basketball in 1992 and by 1993, he was immersed in the financial advisory industry.[3] His office is located in Sidney and he lives in North Saanich with his wife and their two daughters, Sarah and Grace.[3][4][5]

He now gives back to the community as much as he can; he often volunteers at local schools to provide speaking addresses on how sports can be a positive influence, while also providing advice to older students on how to start thinking about their finances early.[2][3][5] Additionally, Kazanowski and his family are involved with the ROCK home makeover project for disadvantaged homeowners on the Saanich Peninsula.[2][5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Basketball BC Hall of Fame". Basketball BC Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 "GERALD KAZANOWSKI". UVic Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 "All Inductees". Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 "Sports Hall of Fame Inaugural Induction Banquet" (PDF). The Nanaimo Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 MacKenzie, Devon. "Gerald Kazanowski retired professional basketball player". Peninsula News Review. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Manulife Securities". Manulife Securities Incorporated. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Gerald Kazanowski- Athlete Induction Class of 2005" (PDF). Canada Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Hall of Fame". NDSS Athletics. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Men's Basketball All-Canadian Teams" (PDF). U Sports. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Men's Basketball Championship All-Stars" (PDF). U Sports. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 "Reflecting on when Karl Tilleman, Eli Pasquale, and Their Fellow Canadian University Teammates Took a Shot at Ruling the Basketball World". Somers Point News. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  12. ↑ "Canada wins gold medal in basketball". Ellensburg Daily Record. 12 June 1983. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  13. ↑ "Eli Pasquale (MBB – Student-athlete)". Canada West Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  14. 1 2 Beck, Jason. "Eli Pasquale: An Unbreakable Will – 2021 Inductee Spotlight". BC Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  15. ↑ "Men Basketball XI Universiade 1981 Bucharest, Romania 15-29.07 - Winner United States". Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 "1979-80 UVic Vikings Men's Basketball". BC Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 "Victoria Vikes 1979-86 (MBB – Team)". Canada West Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  18. 1 2 "TEAM 1982-83 MEN'S BASKETBALL". UVic Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
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