Honoured Members Database

As the career of 1983 Inductee “King” Carl Ridd was winding down, a new star on the local basketball scene was rising. Herb Olafsson led his Glenlawn Collegiate Team to the Suburban Conference High School Championship in 1950 as the top scorer in the league.

In 1951, Olafsson helped the Winnipeg Stellars capture their second consecutive Junior National Championship. The following season saw him named “Rookie of the Year” as he finished 3rd in league scoring and led the St. Vital Jrs. to the National Final. Touted as “the Best Junior Pivot in Canada”, Olafsson scored 65 points in two games. His stellar play garnered a scholarship offer from Montana State College in 1953.

In senior basketball, Olafsson's star continued to shine as he played for the Winnipeg Paulins in 1953-54. With 413 points in 18 games (22.94 avg.), he captured the scoring title and was named to the 1st All-Star Team. He became the first Manitoban to double as a Junior and Senior National Basketball Champion in 1954 when the Paulins won the Canadian Amateur Title. Olafsson continued to enjoy a fabulous career on the local senior circuit for several teams.

On the international front, he represented Canada (with Paulins) at the World Basketball Championships in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in 1954. He had a tryout with the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers that same year. In 1959 he represented his country again, this time in Chicago at the Pan Am Games.

Unfortunately, Olafsson passed away in 1992 just shy of the age of 59. Twice inducted in the team category to both the Manitoba Sports and the Manitoba Basketball Halls of Fame, Herb Olafsson now assumes his place as an athlete; an exceptional individual player in a team game.