Rinus de Jong

Rinus de Jong (19 March 1934 – 13 May 2024) was a Dutch basketball player and coach. He played with the Netherlands men's national basketball team and competed at the EuroBasket1961. On club level he played among others with Heroes Den Bosch. After his playing career he was 25 year chairman for Heroes Den Bosch and also coach and managed to make the club internationally successful.

Biography
De Jong was born in Rotterdam on 19 March 1934. He made his debut for the Netherlands men's national basketball team where he made his debut on 18 February 1956 against Belgium. He played a total of 18 matches with the national team including at EuroBasket1961. On club level he started playing with Heroes Den Bosch from 1964. In 1966 he became chairman of the club what he would remain for 25 years. During his year as a chairman he started making a five-year plan for the club to lift it to a European level. The club became successfull, it won ten national titles and reached the final of the 1979 European Cup II. Because there was no sponsor, De Jong paid the costs for years.  He was also coach of the club during the 1972-73 season.  was his successor as coach.

In 2022, De Jong, together with Kees Akerboom was appointed honorary member of the Dutch Basketball Association.

De Jong died on 13 May 2024 at the age of 90 years old.

References

Category:1934 births
Category:2024 deaths
Category:Dutch basketball players
Category:Sportspeople from Rotterdam