Remembering the 1972 Olympic Basketball Team

As this Blog is being posted, the United States is rapping up their victory over Argentina in the Men’s basketball semi final at the Beijing Olympics. The team they have assembled includes most of the greatest American basketball players in the NBA today, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carlos Boozer, Jason Kidd and Chris Paul. However, there’s a reason there is a “Dream Team” (or Redeem Team, as it were) out there. It’s the result of the 1972 Olympic basketball game between the previously unbeaten United States and the USSR. Back then it was college kids playing, so, therefore, the Final Four Blog, in the spirit of the Olympics, is going to at elast make a mention of this important event in college basketball history.

The Wikipedia article on the subject doesn’t exactly give the game justice, but it’s a good place to start for any young basketball fan who is not familiar with the event. Basically, there was some questionable officiating calls near the end of the game, which eventually resulted in a re-do of the final three seconds. The United States officially lost the game, but they protested the medal ceremony, and have yet to ever accept their silver medals for the game. Making it more interesting, this game happened at nearly the height of tensions between the U.S. and the USSR during the Cold War.

To get NCAA basketball tickets, go to StubHub.com.

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