By Stathis Trapezanlidis/ info@eurohoops.net
While basketball was considered Americans’ game, for many years the national teams of Soviet Union and Yugoslavia dominated the World Cup tournament, while the USA team didn’t include top talent. Two great basketball schools, which are still represented mainly by Serbia and Russia, made the World Cups in many cases the private court of their big rivalry.
1. The 1963-1974 period: Group games
It is the period during which there were not knockout rounds and the top team in the standings of the final round was getting the championship title. During this period Soviet Union won two gold medals (1967, 1974) and two bronzes (1963, 1970), while Yugoslavia had one gold (1970) and three silver (1963, 1967, 1974) medals.
The two countries met each other in very important games for the title. In 1967 Yugoslavia met Soviet Union in the last group game. The Soviets won (71-59) and conquered the title. In 1970 Soviet Union beat – also in last group game – Yugoslavia (87-72), but the Balkan country had already secured the title. Finally, in 1974 Yugoslavia won by three points (82-79), but the Soviet Union took the trophy having the advantage in a triple tie (USA was the third team in the mix).
2. Yugoslavia – Soviet Union 82-81 in overtime (Final, 1978)
In 1978 the first two teams of the final group had a title game. Yugoslavia beat Soviet Union for the second time in the same tournament and won its second World Cup. Drazen Dalipagic was the MVP of the tournament scoring 20 points per game, while Dragan Kicanovic had a 16,5 points’ average.
3. Soviet Union – Yugoslavia 99-94 (“semifinal”, 1982)
Soviet Union defeated Yugoslavia 99-94 and got to the final, in a game that hectically wasn’t the semifinal (the group format was still there), but practically it had the same significance as the winner would secure a place in the final. The Soviets won the gold medal by beating USA in the final and Yugoslavia won the bronze medal. Vladimir Tkachenko and Anatoli Myshkin were the MVPs for Soviet Union.
4. Soviet Union – Yugoslavia 91-90 (Semifinal 1986)
In one of the most exciting games between the two countries Soviet Union after a 3-point buzzer beater, which sent the game in overtime, won the semifinal by one point (91-90) and qualified to the final against the USA. Yugoslavia finished again in third place. Young Arvydas Sabonis and Valeri Tikhonenko were the best players of the Soviet Union, while Drazen Petrovic was the MVP of the tournament.
5. Yugoslavia – Soviet Union 92-75 (Final, 1990)
In the last tournament before their dissolution, the two countries met in the final. Yugoslavia won easily (92-75) and got its last title as a united country. Croat Toni Kukoc and Serbian Vlade Divac led Yugoslavia to gold. Kukoc was also the MVP of the tournament.