Jórunn Linda Jónsdóttir (10 March 1956 – 13 December 2019) was an Icelandic basketball player. In 1982 she became the first woman to be named the Icelandic Basketball Player of the Year. She won the Icelandic championship nine times and the Icelandic Basketball Cup six times.

Linda Jónsdóttir
Personal information
Born(1956-03-10)10 March 1956
Patreksfjörður, Iceland
Died13 December 2019(2019-12-13) (aged 63)
NationalityIcelandic
Career information
Playing career1972–1990
PositionGuard
Career history
1972–1983KR
1984–1990KR
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Women's basketball
Representing  Iceland
Games of the Small States of Europe
Silver medal – second place 1989 Cyprus Team

Playing career edit

Club career edit

Linda started her career with KR[1] in 1972 and in 1976, she won her first major title when KR won the Icelandic Basketball Cup.[2] In 1982 she finished second in the vote for Player of the year and in scoring, behind Emilía Sigurðardóttir.[3] In December, she was voted as the Icelandic Basketball Player of the Year.[4] In 1983, Linda was named the Player of the year after helping KR win its fifth national championship in a row, while also leading the league in scoring with 344 points.[5]

After spending the 1983-1984 season playing in Sweden,[6] Linda returned to KR prior to the 1984-1985 season and helped them win the 1985 championship.[7] In 1986, she won every major individual award awarded that season as she was named the Player of the year while also leading the league in scoring and free-throw percent.[8][9] With her, KR won both the national championship and the Icelandic Basketball Cup.[10] In the Cup Finals, Linda outscored ÍS by herself, scoring 33 points for KR in the 47-28 victory.[11] She continued her dominance the following season, winning all the major awards again along with the national championship and the Basketball Cup.[12][13]

Linda only appeared in 3 games during the 1987–1988 season, averaging 15.0 points per game,[14] and KR finished dead last in the league with only 3 victories in 18 games.[15] She bounced back during the following season, playing all 18 games and again leading the league in scoring.[16]

Icelandic national team edit

Linda was named to the first Icelandic women's national basketball team in 1973.[17][18] In 1989, she played for Iceland during the Games of the Small States of Europe, helping Iceland finish second.[19]

Team of the 20th century edit

In 2001 Linda was voted to the Icelandic team of the 20th century in basketball as a player.[20]

References edit

  1. ^ "Linda Jónsdóttir íþróttamaður KR". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 1 May 1987. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  2. ^ "KR bikarmeistari kvenna". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 3 April 1976. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Torfi valinn besti leikmaðurinn í körfunni af þjálfurum liðanna". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 1 April 1982. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  4. ^ "Íþróttamenn heiðraðir". Tíminn (in Icelandic). 17 December 1982. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Pétur kosinn maður mótsins". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 29 March 1983. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  6. ^ "ÍS vann KR í döprum leik". Tíminn (in Icelandic). 11 October 1983. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  7. ^ "Íslandsmeistarar í kvennaflokki". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 27 March 1985. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Pálmar og Linda". Tíminn (in Icelandic). 15 March 1986. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  9. ^ "Pálmar og Linda best í körfunni". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 15 March 1986. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  10. ^ "Linda skoraði meira en Stúdentar". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 14 March 1986. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  11. ^ "KR Bikarmeistari". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 14 March 1986. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  12. ^ "KR-ingar íslandsmeistarar". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 25 March 1987. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  13. ^ "Tvöfalt hjá KR-stúlkunum". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 13 April 1987. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  14. ^ "1. deild kvenna - KR". kki.is (in Icelandic). Icelandic Basketball Federation. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  15. ^ "1. deild kvenna 1988". kki.is (in Icelandic). Icelandic Basketball Federation. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  16. ^ "Lokahóf körfuknattleiksmanna". Tíminn (in Icelandic). 5 April 1989. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  17. ^ "Fyrsta landsliðið í körfuknattleik kvenna". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 28 March 1973. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  18. ^ "Söfnuðu sjálfar fyrir farinu!". Vísir (in Icelandic). 22 March 1973. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  19. ^ "KKÍ | A landslið". kki.is. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
  20. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (26 February 2001). "Fræknar kempur heiðraðar". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). Retrieved 30 June 2018.