WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP URUGUAY 1967
professional league, famous for its three-coloured ball and for Julius Erving) such as Michael Barrett, Albert Tucker, John Clawson, Darrell Carrier or in both leagues like Jay Miller( Saint Louis, NBA, and Indiana, ABA).
Faced by this group of future professionals the USSR called up the backbone of their silver medal winning team from the Tokyo Olympics( Volnov and Lipso) reinforced by some important additions such as Palauskas, Belov and Andreiev. They were keen to make their mark on world basketball and get their revenge for the title they lost for political reasons in Chile, 1959. Both the USSR and USA went into the meeting unbeaten. Under the watchful gaze of both sets of technical staff( forced to share the same blanket due to the cold weather) the two teams fought out an epic duel in which both defences and the tension triumphed over talent. The six-point advantage that the USA enjoyed at half time did not last long and was wiped out by the USSR at the start of the second half. It became a match in which every possession was worth its weight in gold and every block and every steal could prove decisive.
With one minute forty-two seconds left on the clock the trouble started. The score was tied at 54-54 when the Soviet captain Volnov fouled out and the referees decided to restart the game with a jumpball. The US coach protested and they changed their decision and awarded two free throws to the USA. The USSR complained but the referees did not change their minds again. The Soviets maintained their composure and going into the final minute they led by one point. Just before the final horn Mike Barrett took a desperate shot that went in an gave the victory to the Americans. After this win the Americans seemed to have assured the gold medal, but the competition had just begun and there were to be more surprises and an unexpected ending.
BRAZIL, THE JUDGE OF PEACE
The games between the USSR and Yugoslavia and USA against Brazil were to be played on the last day of the tournament. With the exception of Brazil ' s two defeats they all reached the final match with one defeat each. USA had lost against Yugoslavia( 73-72) after beating the Soviet Union.
Yugoslavia, coached by Ranko Zeravica, enjoyed several advantages. Firstly thy depended on themselves and could win the title simply by winning their match even if the USA beat Brazil and secondly they had the best player in the tournament, Ivo Daneu, in their ranks. In contrast their rivals needed to beat them and hope for a miraculous victory for Brazil against the USA. Gomelski ' s team fulfilled the first condition and never gave their rivals a chance. The final score( 71-59) reflected the overwhelming superiority of the Soviet team whose most valuable players were Anatoli Palivoda( 16 points), Jaak Lipso( 14) and Modestas Paulaskas( 10). Their victory was based on a superb defence on the Yugoslav forward Radivoj Korac who was restricted to a meagre 6 points.
The USA had their destiny in their hands. If they won they would take the gold medal and push the Yugoslavs down to third place. The USSR had guaranteed the silver and celebrated it on the hardwood, sceptical of the possibility of a Brazilian victory that would push them into first position. The USA played a good defence and dominated the beginning of the match, silencing the Brazilian crowd but then they fell to pieces and started to miss shots and the Brazilian counter attacks led by Amaury was lethal. At half time Brazil had the advantage on the scoreboard( 40-29) and the tension was showing on the faces of the young American players. Thanks to the excellent James Williams, strong under the basket and a great fighter the USA managed to reduce the difference but another lapse allowed Brazil to build up a ten-point advantage that they kept to the end.
The final score( 80-71) altered the final classification. The USA was knocked off the podium, the USSR celebrated the circumstances that handed them the gold and Yugoslavia consoled themselves with a silver medal that could have been gold if they had not had a bad evening and amid their supporters Brazil celebrated the bronze that they had won through faith in their own abilities.
197 FUNDACIÓN PEDRO FERRÁNDIZ