Maarten van Gent
A foundational figure in Dutch basketball who built a national powerhouse as a coach and savvy administrator.
Born 1947 (age 79)·Dutch basketball coach·Birthday: March 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Maarten van Gent was the quiet architect behind the rise of Dutch basketball. While not a flashy figure, his strategic mind and organizational skills were instrumental for decades. His coaching career, which began in the 1970s, reached its peak when he guided the Dutch national team to its greatest success: a silver medal at the 1983 European Championships. That team, featuring stars like Rik Smits, captured the nation's attention. Van Gent’s impact extended far beyond the sidelines. He served as the national team’s general manager and chief scout, applying a sharp eye for talent to build competitive squads. Later, as a businessman, he remained connected to the sport, his life reflecting a deep, enduring commitment to nurturing the game in the Netherlands from the grassroots to the international stage.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Maarten was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Maarten Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Maarten's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Coached the Netherlands men's national basketball team to a silver medal at the 1983 FIBA European Championship.
- Served as the head coach of the Dutch national team for over a decade, from 1978 to 1990.
- Worked as the general manager and chief scout for the Dutch basketball federation (NBB).
- Played a key role in the development and recruitment of Dutch NBA players like Rik Smits and Dan Gadzuric.
Did You Know?
He was a successful businessman outside of basketball, running a corporate events and team-building company.
The 1983 Dutch national team he coached is still considered the greatest in the country's basketball history.
He studied at the University of Northern Colorado in the United States in the 1960s.
“A good system beats momentary brilliance every time.”
