What was the score of the 1972 Olympic basketball Final?
Officially, the Soviet Union beat the United States, 51-50, in the gold medal game at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich on a desperate basket at the final buzzer.
What was the US mens basketball team like in 1972?
The U.S. men’s team was considered a favorite in the run-up to the 1972 Games. Since the first Olympic basketball tournament at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, the Americans hadn’t lost a single game, winning seven consecutive gold medals in a dominating fashion.
Who was the Soviet coach in the 1972 Olympics?
Immediately following Collins’ second free throw, with the ball then being a “live” ball under the rules at the time, Soviet assistant coach Sergei Bashkin charged out of the team’s designated bench area to the scorer’s table.
Where are the silver medals from the 1972 basketball game?
Thirty years later, the silver medals sit unclaimed in a vault in Lusanne, Switzerland. The intervening years have done little to hide the emotions of that historic night in Munich. “The American team was offended, and it wasn’t right,” said Ivan Edeshko, the player who threw the game-winning pass for the Soviets.
Who was on the US basketball team in 1972?
The 1972 United States men’s Olympic basketball team represented the United States at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. Led by Tom Henderson and Dwight Jones, the team would go on to win the Silver medal.
Who was at the free throw line in the 1972 Olympics?
With three seconds remaining on the clock, Collins stood at the free throw line for the United States of America, with his team, after mounting a heroic comeback, down by one point to the Soviet Union in the Olympic gold medal game. Collins, as it happened, couldn’t even see straight.
When did the US mens basketball team lose in the Olympics?
The 1972 Olympic men’s basketball final was one of the most controversial events in Olympic history and was recorded by FIBA as the first ever loss for Team USA since the sport began Olympic play in 1936. The United States team won the previous seven gold medals and was favored to win another in Munich at the 1972 Summer Olympics.