| Basketball At The 1972 Summer Olympics |
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The 1972 Olympics marked the first time that the United States did not win the gold medal in Olympic basketball since the sport's introduction as an official medal event at the 1936 Summer Olympics . MEDAL SUMMARY FINAL RANKING # (9-0) # (8-1) # (7-2) # (5-4) # (7-2) # (6-3) # (5-4) # (4-5) # (5-4) # (3-6) # (4-5) # (3-6) # (3-6) # (2-7) # (0-8) # (0-8) TOURNAMENT SUMMARY Pool Play: Group A Pool Play: Group B Semifinal Final NOTES The gold medal game between the United States and Soviet Union remains very controversial to this day. The Soviets had a 49-48 lead and committed a hard foul on Doug Collins with three seconds left. Collins made two free throws to put the U.S. up 50-49, and the Soviets inbounded the ball quickly. Referee Renaldo Righetto of Brazil stopped play with one second on the clock. USSR coach Vladimir Kondrashin had attempted to call time out between Collins' free throws and it was awarded. The inbounds pass was intercepted and the United States players and coaches celebrated their victory. But the head of the FIBA , Renato William Jones , ordered that the clock be reset to three seconds, the time that was on the clock when Kondrashin tried to call time. Jones normally had no authority to act during a game, but his reputation was such that the referees felt they had no choice but to comply. The Soviets inbounded the ball for a third time, and this time, Alexander Belov scored a lay-up and the USSR won the game 51-50, which not only meant that they got the gold medal, but they also dealt the United States their first loss in Olympic basketball competition. The members of the United States team have remained upset over the outcome of the game ever since. They refused to accept the Olympic silver medal during the medal ceremony and appealed to a five-judge panel. The panel was comprised of members from Hungary, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Italy and Romania. The vote was 3-2 to reject the appeal, along Cold War lines (Puerto Rico and Italy voted to uphold the appeal, while Hungary, Cuba and Romania voted to reject it). Even when the International Olympic Committee approached the U.S. players about thirty years later to see if they would accept the medals, all of the players still refused them. The medals remain in a vault in Switzerland to this day. At least one U.S. player, Kevin Joyce, has stipulated in his will that after his death, his heirs are forbidden to ever accept the silver medal in his name. In recent years, FIBA has instituted more stringent rules for international competitions to attempt prevention of similar incidents again:
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