VIII Olympic Basketball Tournament (München 1972)

(From 27-08-1972 to 9-09-1972)
Olympic Poster
Olympic Logo

 

PARTICIPANTS (16)

· Host nation: FRG.

· Top 4 qualified teams in the previous Olympic Tournament: USA, Yugoslavia, Soviet Union, Brazil.

· Pan-American Games winner and runner-up: Puerto Rico, Cuba.

· Asian Championship winner and runner-up: Japan, Philippines.

· African Championship winner and runner-up: Senegal, Egypt.

· Oceania Championship winner: Australia.

· The remaining 4 berths are allocated after a Pre-Olympic Stage gathering 23 teams of national federations associated to FIBA, under free registration, from three continents (EUROPE, AMERICA, ASIA). This competition is divided into two major gegraphical groups: European Pre-Olympic Tournament (Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria*, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England*, France, Greece*, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland*, Spain*, Sweden*, Turkey) and Pan-Continental Pre-Olympic Tournament (Bulgaria*, Canada, England*, Finland, Greece*, Israel, Mexico, Poland*, South Korea, Spain*, Sweden*, Switzerland).

 

* Although Bulgaria, England, Greece, Poland, Spain and Sweden didn’t earn an Olympic berth in the European Pre-Olympic Tournament, they were allowed to participate later in the Pan-Continental Pre-Olympic Tournament.

 

COMPETITION SYSTEM

· The sixteen participating teams are divided in 2 groups of 8 teams each playing a round robin. In case that two or more teams finish level on points, their position is decided by their basket average.

· The group winners and runners-up advance to the semifinal round (played as an X-pairing). The two winners after the semifinals qualify for the final, whereas the two losers play a consolation final for the bronze medal.
 

 

PRELIMINARY ROUND

 

GROUP A

 

GROUP B

Competition Day 1 (27-08-1972)

Competition Day 1 (27-08-1972)

Cuba - Egypt

105-64 (50-33)

Poland - Philippines

90-75 (33-46)

USA - Czechoslovakia

66-35 (34-12)

Yugoslavia - Italy

85-78 (43-38)

Japan - Brazil

55-110 (35-55)

Senegal - Soviet Union

52-94 (23-50)

Spain - Australia

79-74 (36-41)

FRG - Puerto Rico

74-81 (35-41)

Competition Day 2 (28-08-1972)

Competition Day 2 (28-08-1972)

Brazil - Egypt

110-84 (63-39)

Senegal - Italy

56-92 (28-47)

USA - Australia

81-55 (36-24)

FRG - Soviet Union

63-87 (33-41)

Cuba - Spain

74-53 (36-24)

Puerto Rico - Philippines

92-72 (49-40)

Japan - Czechoslovakia

61-74 (34-27)

Poland - Yugoslavia

64-85 (28-36)

Competition Day 3 (29-08-1972)

Competition Day 3 (29-08-1972)

Brazil - Spain

72-69 (43-38)

Senegal - Poland

59-95 (25-49)

Japan - Egypt

78-73 (31-46)

Soviet Union - Italy

79-66 (41-28)

Czechoslovakia - Australia

69-68 (39-38)

Puerto Rico - Yugoslavia

79-74 (38-31)

USA - Cuba

67-48 (33-21)

FRG - Philippines

93-74 (46-34)

Competition Day 4 (30-08-1972)

Competition Day 4 (30-08-1972)

Egypt - Spain

58-72 (26-33)

Soviet Union - Poland

94-64 (50-23)

Japan - Australia

76-92 (36-45)

FRG - Italy

57-68 (24-35)

Czechoslovakia - Cuba

65-77 (32-41)

Philippines - Yugoslavia

76-117 (33-58)

Brazil - USA

54-61 (26-26)

Puerto Rico - Senegal

92-57 (39-28)

Competition Day 5 (1-09-1972)

Competition Day 5 (1-09-1972)

Australia - Cuba

70-84 (31-42)

Senegal - Philippines

62-68 (30-39)

Egypt - USA

31-96 (17-48)

FRG - Yugoslavia

56-81 (21-43)

Czechoslovakia - Brazil

82-83 (42-40)

Italy - Poland

71-59 (37-31)

Japan - Spain

76-87 (47-45)

Soviet Union - Puerto Rico

100-87 (48-37)

Competition Day 6 (2-09-1972)

Competition Day 6 (2-09-1972)

Australia - Brazil

75-69 (40-34)

Yugoslavia - Senegal

73-57 (31-31)

Egypt - Czechoslovakia

64-94 (32-49)

FRG - Poland

67-65 (40-37)

Japan - Cuba

63-108 (34-51)

Philippines - Soviet Union

80-111 (40-57)

Spain - USA

56-72 (30-31)

Italy - Puerto Rico

71-54 (37-27)

Competition Day 7 (3-09-1972)

Competition Day 7 (3-09-1972)

Japan - USA

33-99 (18-51)

Italy - Philippines

101-81 (44-35)

Spain - Czechoslovakia

70-74 (39-44)

Poland - Puerto Rico

83-85 (47-54)

Australia - Egypt

89-66 (44-24)

Yugoslavia - Soviet Union

67-74 (34-38)

Cuba - Brazil

64-63 (30-39)

FRG - Senegal

72-62 (42-34)

FINAL STANDING

P

W

L

F

A

Pt

1. USA

7

7

0

542

312

14

2. Cuba

7

6

1

560

445

13

3. Brazil

7

4

3

561

490

11

4. Czechoslovakia

7

4

3

493

489

11

5. Spain

7

3

4

486

500

10

6. Australia

7

3

4

523

524

10

7. Japan

7

1

6

442

643

8

8. Egypt

7

0

7

440

644

7

FINAL STANDING

P

W

L

F

A

Pt

1. Soviet Union

7

7

0

639

479

14

2. Italy

7

5

2

547

471

12

3. Yugoslavia

7

5

2

582

484

12

4. Puerto Rico

7

5

2

570

531

12

5. FRG

7

3

4

482

518

10

6. Poland

7

2

5

520

536

9

7. Philippines

7

1

6

526

666

8

8. Senegal

7

0

7

405

586

7

 

 

FINAL ROUND

 

PLACES 13-16

Semifinals (6-09-1972)

A7-B8: Japan - Senegal

70-67 (34-39)

B7-A8: Philippines - Egypt

2-0 (w.o.) (x) (*)

Finals (9-09-1972)

15/16: Senegal - Egypt

2-0 (w.o.) (*)

13/14: Japan - Philippines

73-82 (38-34) (y)

(x) Game scheduled on 5-09-1972 but not played (see note below).

(y) Game played on 8-09-1972.

(*) NOTE: Egypt withdrew from the tournament after the Munich Massacre on September 5 and 6.

 

 

PLACES 9-12

Semifinals (6-09-1972)

A5-B6: Spain - Poland

76-87 (33-38)

B5-A6: FRG - Australia

69-70 (46-34) (x)

Finals (9-09-1972)

11/12: Spain - FRG

84-83 (38-40;75-75) (y)

9/10: Poland - Australia

83-91 (42-41)

(x) Game played on 5-09-1972.

(y) Game played on 8-09-1972.

 

 

PLACES 5-8

Semifinals (7-09-1972)

A3-B4: Brazil - Puerto Rico

83-87 (42-40)

B3-A4: Yugoslavia - Czechoslovakia

66-63 (34-25)

Finals (9-09-1972)

7/8: Brazil - Czechoslovakia

87-69 (38-40) (x)

5/6: Puerto Rico - Yugoslavia

70-86 (42-40)

(x) Game played on 8-09-1972.

 

 

PLACES 1-4

Semifinals (7-09-1972)

A1-B2: USA - Italy

68-38 (33-16)

B1-A2: Soviet Union - Cuba

67-61 (35-36)

Finals (9-09-1972)

3/4: Italy - Cuba

65-66 (40-43) (x)

1/2: USA - Soviet Union

50-51 (21-26)

(x) Game played on 8-09-1972.

 

 

FINAL

VENUE: Olympische Basketballhalle (München)

DATE: 9-09-1972 (23:30 h)

ATTENDANCE: 6.500

REFEREES: Renato Righetto (BRA), Artenik Arabadjan (BUL)

FOULED OUT: Korkia [d.t.f.] (28’), Dvornyj [d.t.f. from the bench] / D. Jones [d.t.f.] (28’), Bantom (40’)

[Incidents: In minute 28, Dwight Jones and Korkia both received a disqualifying technical foul after a loose ball scuffle. Later, Dvornyj was also disqualified for protesting from the bench. The gold medal game between the Soviet Union and the USA remains very controversial to this day. With regulation time apparently expired, the Americans were winning 50-49 and seemed to have secured yet another gold medal. However, the referees decided that there were still three seconds left, thus allowing the USSR one more play. The Soviets had time for a lay-up buzzer-beater by Aleksandr Belov and finally won the game by 51-50, thus putting an end to an American winning streak of seven consecutive gold medals in the Olympic Games. The USA team members were so disappointed after this decision that they refused to accept their silver during the medal ceremony. A brief recap of the controversial 1972 final follows below.]

СССР

Soviet Union - USA

United States of America

51-50 (26-21)

 

Soviet Union (coach: Vladimir Kondrashin)

 

2P

FT

Rbds

TO

PF

Pts.

A

M

A

M

Df

Of

# Sergej Belov

17

8

6

4

1

1

1

3

20

# Zurab Sakandelidze

2

2

8

4

-

-

2

2

8

# Mikheil Korkia

2

1

2

2

2

2

2

2

4

# Aleksandr Belov

12

3

4

2

6

2

1

2

8

# Alzhan Zharmukhamedov

4

1

4

2

2

2

1

2

4

Modestas Paulauskas

4

-

4

3

1

1

1

3

3

Aleksandr Boloshev

4

2

-

-

-

-

1

4

4

Ivan Edeshko

2

-

-

-

5

-

1

3

-

Gennadij Vol’nov

-

-

-

-

1

-

1

4

-

TOTAL

47

17

28

17

18

8

11

25

51

 

USA (coach: Hank Iba)

 

2P

FT

Rbds

TO

PF

Pts.

A

M

A

M

Df

Of

# Tom Henderson

9

4

2

1

3

-

2

3

9

# Ed Ratleff

8

3

-

-

2

1

1

3

6

# Bobby Jones

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

1

-

# Jim Brewer

6

3

4

3

2

3

-

4

9

# Dwight Jones

8

2

4

2

4

1

3

3

6

Doug Collins

8

1

6

6

-

1

2

1

8

Mike Bantom

4

1

2

-

3

6

-

5

2

Jim Forbes

3

1

-

-

-

-

-

3

2

Tom McMillen

2

1

-

-

1

1

-

-

2

Kevin Joyce

8

3

-

-

1

-

2

3

6

TOTAL

57

20

16

10

16

13

10

26

50

 

 

THE CONTROVERSIAL FINAL

 

Trailing by five points at halftime, the US deficit grew to ten with under 10 minutes to play. A furious comeback aided by the play of guard Kevin Joyce shrunk the Soviet lead to one point with 38 seconds remaining. Trying to protect their lead, Aleksandr Belov’s cross-court pass with 7 seconds to play was intercepted by Doug Collins. Collins was fouled hard driving to the basket with three seconds to play.

 

Under enormous pressure, Collins sank both free throws giving the Americans a 50-49 lead, their first of the game. After the Soviets in-bounded the ball, the referees halted the game with one second remaining. The decision was made to put three seconds back on the clock. At issue was the Soviets’ contention that they had signaled for a time-out between Collins’ two free throws (although the game officials never acknowledged this time out).

 

After the Soviets in-bounded the ball a second time, the horn sounded signaling an apparent American victory. Moments later, the teams were ordered back on the floor because the clock had not been properly reset to show three seconds remaining. Because of this mistake by the scorer’s table, the celebrating Americans stood in disbelief when they were told they had not won anything yet.

 

Aleksandr Belov, who moments earlier had been the goat, became the hero. Rising between Americans Jim Forbes and Kevin Joyce, Belov caught a full-court pass and scored the winning lay-up as time ran out, this time for good. The controversy did not end with the game. Convinced they had been wronged, the US team filed a formal protest with the International Basketball Federation. Later that afternoon, a five-member panel ruled in favor of the Soviets.

 

During the medal ceremony, the Americans were so upset about these final decisions that they refused to receive the silver. More than thirty years later, the American silver medals sit unclaimed in a vault in Lausanne (Switzerland).

 

Further video review of the game shows more irregularities during the last seconds, such as:

 

1) Vladimir Kondrashin calls for a time-out during the free throws of Doug Collins (although, according to international basketball rules, a coach cannot do this). When the ball is in-bounded, Kondrashin keeps calling for a time-out and the referees stop the game with one second remaining, but the horn sounds signalling the end of the game.

 

2) The second time the Soviets in-bound the ball, after the clock is reset to three seconds, Edeshko steps on the baseline before sending a long pass to Aleksandr Belov for the winning basket.

 

3) Aleksandr Belov seems to lean on Forbes and Joyce while picking the long pass from Edeshko (possible offensive foul). While advancing to the basket, he also takes three steps (travelling).

 

 

FINAL STANDING

1.

Soviet Union USSR

2.

USA USA

3.

Cuba CUB

4.

Italy ITA

5.

Yugoslavia YUG

6.

Puerto Rico PUR

7.

Brazil BRA

8.

Czechoslovakia CZE

9.

Australia AUS

10.

Poland POL

11.

Spain SPA

12.

FRG FRG

13.

Philippines PHI

14.

Japan JAP

15.

Senegal SEN

16.

Egypt EGY

 

 

TOP SCORERS (POINTS PER GAME)

Player

Pts.

G

Avg.

1. Masatomo Taniguchi (JAP)

191

8

23.9

2. Eddie Palubinskas (AUS)

190

9

21.1

3. Héctor Blondet (PUR)

150

9

16.7

4. Norbert Thimm (FRG)

145

9

16.1

5. Marcos Antônio Leite “Marquinhos” (BRA)

144

9

16.0

6. Clifford Luyk (SPA)

112

7

16.0

7. Krešimir Ćosić (YUG)

126

8

15.8

8. Shigeaki Abe (JAP)

133

9

14.8

9. Pedro Chappé (CUB)

114

9

12.7

10. Alejandro Urgellés (CUB)

114

9

12.7

   

 

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