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Controversy in Munich
SET-UP: The United States men's basketball team went into the 1972 Olympic gold-medal game in Munich, Germany, carrying the U.S.'s 63-0 record in Olympic play and seven Olympic gold medals. The favored Americans beat Italy in the semifinals to earn a fifth gold-medal rematch with the Soviet Union. Here's what happened:
HALFTIME: Playing a defense-first game, the U.S. trails 26-21.
SECOND HALF, 12:18 REMAINING: With the Soviets leading 38-34, American star forward Dwight Jones and Soviet reserve Dvorni Edeshko are ejected for fighting after a loose-ball scrum. On the ensuing jump ball, U.S. forward Jim Brewer is knocked out of the game with a concussion.
0:40: Pressing in the final minutes, the U.S. erases what was once a 10-point deficit as Jim Forbes hits a jumper to cut the Soviet lead to 49-48.
0:10: The Soviets are trying to milk the clock when American Tom McMillen blocks Aleksander Belov's shot. Belov tries to pass across the court, and U.S. guard Doug Collins intercepts. At the other end, Collins is fouled, knocking his head against the basket standard. A woozy Collins makes two clutch free throws, the second as the game clock sounds, to give the U.S. its first lead at 50-49.
0:03 (PART 1): The Soviets immediately inbound the ball and fail to score, but a Brazilian referee halts the action with one second left after seeing a commotion on the Soviet bench and hearing the horn. Officials order three seconds put back on the clock.
0:03 (PART 2): The Soviets inbound the ball again but the pass misses its target and the U.S. team begins celebrating. It's premature. Officials had wrongly put the ball in play before the clock was reset.
0:03 (PART 3): The celebration stops when FIBA official R. William Jones orders the clock reset again. Belov catches a pass between American guards Forbes and Kevin Joyce. U.S. big men Dwight Jones and Brewer are out of the game and when the taller Belov comes down with the ball, the Americans fall away and Belov scores the winning basket.
AFTERMATH: The U.S. files a protest that is voted down, three Communist countries in favor of the Soviets, two non-Communist countries for the U.S. The U.S. votes unanimously to skip the medal ceremony and refuses the silver medals. The medals still sit in a vault at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.
LUCIANA CHAVEZ
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"What a life it has been for me," Doug Collins said. "But when I'm asked if I could be healthy enough to play one more game, would it be an NBA Finals game? I say, 'No, no, if you let me play one more day, [the gold-medal game] is the one I would want to play."It lingers as poignant family history for Chris Collins, though he said his father never really shared the Olympic story with the family. It worked its way to Chris, and his sister Kelly, because Chris loved basketball. He began following it when he began nurturing his own basketball ambitions while tagging along with Doug to practices and games during Doug's NBA coaching career."But it's definitely something that hurts," Chris Collins said. "I have so much respect for his knowledge of the game. ... He should go down as one of the great Olympic heroes. Something out of his control means he's not really looked at that way. It angers me."Every few years, the IOC contacts the 1972 U.S. team members to see if they'll take the silver medals. All 12 would have to agree. Doug Collins said he doesn't think that will happen.But he continues to support the Olympics and USA Basketball and said he feels "so proud" that Chris was asked to work with the U.S. team in Beijing. Doug will be nearby, working courtside as NBC's men's basketball analyst. Kathy will be there, though Kelly, who's pregnant, will stay home.Doug Collins also will share his Olympic lessons with the current U.S. team as part of the USA Olympic Ambassadors program later this month in Las Vegas."I want to talk to the guys about how quickly things go," he said, "and how opportunity is there one moment and gone the next and how to take advantage of that."
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