Brynjar Þór Björnsson

Brynjar Þór Björnsson (born 11 July 1988) is an Icelandic basketball player and a former member of the Icelandic national team.[1] He has won the Icelandic championship eight times and the Icelandic Basketball Cup three times with KR[2][3] and is the club's all-time leader in scoring and games played.[4][5]

Brynjar Björnsson
Personal information
Born (1988-07-11) 11 July 1988 (age 36)
Reykjavík, Iceland
NationalityIcelandic
Listed height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Career information
CollegeFrancis Marion (2008–2009)
Playing career2004–2022
PositionGuard
Career history
2004-2011KR
2011–2012Jämtland Basket
2012–2018KR
2018–2019Tindastóll
2019–2022KR
2022–presentKR-b
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Iceland
Games of the Small States of Europe
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Luxembourg Team
Silver medal – second place 2015 Reykjavík Team

Playing career

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Early career

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In the fifth and deciding game of the 2007 Úrvalsdeild Finals against Snæfell, Brynjar made a three-point shot with 3 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 68–68 and send it to overtime. KR prevailed in overtime, winning the game 76–74 and its tenth national championship.[6]

College

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Brynjar played for Francis Marion University from 2008 to 2009. He left the school in January 2009.[7]

Sweden

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In 2011, Brynjar joined Jämtland Basket of the Swedish Basketligan and for the season he averaged 10.4 points per game and made 40.8 percent of his three point shots.[8]

Return to KR

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He rejoined KR in 2012 and helped the club win the national championship four times in a row, from 2014 to 2017.[3] He resigned with KR in 2017 after contemplating a move to Þór Akureyri.[9]

On November 10, 2017, Brynjar became KR's all-time leading scorer in the Úrvalsdeild, surpassing Guðni Ólafur Guðnason who scored 3144 points for KR.[10] On March 12, 2018, Brynjar broke a finger on practice and was expected to miss KR's first round playoff series against Njarðvík.[11]

On April 25, 2018, Brynjar scored a buzzer beater to give KR a 75–77 victory against Tindastóll and a 2–1 lead in the Úrvalsdeild finals series.[12] On April 28, he won his eight Icelandic championship after KR defeated Tindastóll in the fourth game of the series.[13][14]

Tindastóll

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On June 8, 2018, Brynjar left KR and signed with rivals Tindastóll.[15][16] On 30 September, he won the Icelandic Super Cup after Tindastóll beat KR, 103–72.[17] On December 9, Brynjar set the Úrvalsdeild record for most three-pointers made in a game when he made 16 of 31 three-point shots, on his way to 48 points, in a victory against Breiðablik, breaking Frank Booker's 27-year-old record.[18][19] In April 2019, Tindastóll agreed to release him from his contract following the team's first round exit in the Úrvalsdeild playoffs.[20]

Third stint with KR

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On 29 June 2019, Brynjar returned to KR.[21] On 5 March 2020 he announced he would not play in KR's upcoming game against Stjarnan due to the coronavirus pandemic in Iceland[22] without consulting the team first.[23] Shortly later, on 13 March 2020 with each team having one game left, the season was postponed,[24] and later canceled due to the pandemic.[25]

In August 2022, Brynjar announced his retirement from top-tier basketball.[26]

Icelandic national team

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From 2007 to 2017, Brynjar played 68 games for the Icelandic national team.[27] He retired from the national team in February 2018.[1][28]

Awards and accomplishments

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Club honours

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Individual awards

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Personal life

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Brynjar is the son of Björn M. Björgvinsson, the former chairman of the Icelandic Basketball Association.[29]

References

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  1. ^ a b Kristjana Arnarsdóttir (20 February 2018). "Brynjar Þór hættur með landsliðinu". RÚV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  2. ^ Jónsson, Óskar Ófeigur (May 2, 2017). "Hinir fjórir fræknu hjá meistaraliði KR". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  3. ^ a b Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (9 June 2017). "Fyrirliði KR fékk freistandi tilboð frá öðru félagi en fer ekki neitt". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  4. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (8 June 2018). "Brynjar skilur eftir sig magnaða tölfræði og mörg met sem leikmaður KR". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  5. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (14 December 2022). "Halda Brilladaginn hátíðlegan annað kvöld". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Tíu ár í dag frá einni mikilvægustu körfu KR í körfuboltanum". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). 5 April 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  7. ^ "Brynjar er kominn heim". Mbl.is (in Icelandic). January 31, 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  8. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (2 July 2012). "Brynjar: Krefst þess að ungu strákarnir standi sig betur en í fyrra". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  9. ^ Valsson, Andri Yrkill (June 9, 2017). ""Þungu fargi af mér létt"". Mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  10. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (16 November 2017). "Brynjar orðinn stigahæsti KR-ingurinn í sögu úrvalsdeildar karla". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  11. ^ Anton Ingi Leifsson (12 March 2018). "Brynjar puttabrotinn og misstir af næstu leikjum KR". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  12. ^ "Ótrúleg flautukarfa á Króknum". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). 25 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  13. ^ Kristján Jónsson (28 April 2018). "KR meistari fimmta árið í röð". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  14. ^ "Brynjar: Allar líkur á að ég verði áfram í Vesturbænum". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). 28 April 2018. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  15. ^ Henry Birgir Gunnarsson (8 June 2018). "Brynjar Þór orðinn leikmaður Tindastóls". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  16. ^ Henry Birgir Gunnarsson (8 June 2018). "Brynjar Þór: Verður skrítið að spila fyrir fólk sem hefur fundist ég vera óþolandi". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  17. ^ Ástrós Ýr Eggertsdóttir (30 September 2018). "Brynjar: Ég elska KR þó ég hafi skipt um lið". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  18. ^ Axel Örn Sæmundsson (9 December 2018). "Brynjar bætti Íslandsmet: "Stórkostleg tilfinning"". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  19. ^ Anton Ingi Leifsson (9 December 2018). "Sjáðu þriggja stiga sýningu Brynjars er hann bætti Íslandsmetið". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  20. ^ Ingvi Þór Sæmundsson (12 April 2019). "Brynjar á förum frá Tindastóli". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  21. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (29 May 2019). "Bræðurnir sameinaðir hjá KR og Brynjar snýr líka aftur á heimaslóðirnar". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  22. ^ Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson (5 March 2020). "Brynjar Þór afboðar sig í stórleikinn vegna kórónuveirunnar". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  23. ^ Kristófer Kristjánsson (5 March 2020). "KR ósátt með einhliða ákvörðun Brynjars". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  24. ^ Anton Ingi Leifsson (13 March 2020). "KKÍ setur allt á ís í að minnsta kosti fjórar vikur". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  25. ^ Ingvi Þór Sæmundsson (18 March 2020). "Körfuboltatímabilið blásið af - Engir Íslandsmeistarar". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  26. ^ Atli Arason (26 August 2022). "Brynjar Þór hættur í körfubolta - „Hungrið ekki til staðar"". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  27. ^ "KKÍ | A landslið". kki.is. Retrieved 2017-09-25.
  28. ^ Anton Ingi Leifsson (21 February 2018). "Brynjar um keppnina í Dominos-deildinni: "Erum mest að keppa við okkur sjálfa"". Vísir.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  29. ^ Skúli Unnar Sveinsson (18 August 2004). "Hálfgerður bjarnargreiði". Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). p. 6B. Retrieved 2 May 2022 – via Tímarit.is.  
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