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Tokyo, October 23, 1964 - USA won the Olympic title defeating USSR (Soviet Union) 73-59.
That was the 6th Olympic gold in a row won by the Americans, who brought their winning streak to 47 (vs 0 losses) and the first Olympic laurel for 60-yr old head coach Hank Iba, 30 years coaching at Oklahoma State.
However, up to the final day predictions were split between USA and USSR team, with the Americans approaching the final game not as true favorites, for the first time after five Olympic Games.
Other nations becoming increasingly stronger, such as USSR, Brazil (the 1963 World Champion) and Yugoslavia, who were tabbed as the toughest competitors and a US selection that was rated far below the fabulous 1960 Rome team (the one with Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Jerry Lucas) were the main uncertainty factors on USA’s possibilities of winning another gold.
Anyway, the 1964 US selection was nearly the best available, at amateur level. The team was made of college and AAU players (AAU/ Industrial League recruited after-college players who didn’t or couldn’t join NBA, and maintained their amateur status), after a Trials tournament held in New York that fielded 96 players from eight teams (3 from NCAA, 1 from NAIA, 2 each from AAU and Armed Forces) competing for 12 spots.
The final US Olympic roster included six NCAA players:
- Jim Barnes, 6’8” (203 cm) F/C, Texas Western (NBA 1st round pick)
- Bill Bradley, G/F, Princeton (the only undergrad and youngest member)
- Joe Caldwell, G/F, Arizona State
- Mel Counts, C, a 7-footer from Oregon State
- Walt Hazzard, G, UCLA (and NCAA Player of the Year & Tournament MVP)
- Jeff Mullins, G, Duke
One player from NAIA (little colleges):
- Lucious Jackson, 6’9” (205 cm) C, Pan American (and NAIA Tournament MVP)
Five from AAU:
- Larry Brown, G, (AAU Tournament MVP)
- Dick Davies, G, (the younger brother of Bob Davies, all-time great with Rochester Royals of NBA’s early years)
- Pete McCaffrey, 6’7” (201 cm) Fw,
all three from AAU champ Akron Goodyear Wingfoots;
- Jerry Shipp, Fw, from Phillips 66ers
- George Wilson, 6’8” (203 cm) F/C, from Cincinnati University but an AAU entry at the trials from Chicago Jamaco Saints.
Jackson, McCaffrey and Shipp had already earned international experience with US NT at the 1963 Pan Am Games and WC.
All collegians plus Brown and Wilson would later enjoy solid pro careers in NBA and ABA.
The trials were played early in April and the US squad assembled at the beginning of September, travelling to Hawaii for a training camp of 18 days under coach Iba. While in Hawaii the team scrimmaged with the local US-Service teams in four exhibitions.
Upon Sept 20, the Olympic squad returned to the mainland and played three further exhibition games under international rules with NBA teams San Francisco Warriors, Cincinnati Royals and Baltimore Bullets.
US Olympic team won the first game with San Francisco Warriors (led by Wilt Chamberlain) and lost the other two, despite brilliant shooting from Jerry Shipp.
In Tokyo, USSR was everybody’s pick as the main contender of USA for the gold. Russian team was coached by HoF Aleksander Gomelsky and fielded a tall frontcourt, topped by old skyscraper Janis Kruminsh (7’ 2”1/2, 219 cm) and more agile Aleksander Petrov (6’11”, 211 cm), backed up by young Yaak Lipso (6’8”, 203 cm). Veteran fw Gennady Volnov and classy Aleksander Travin, both 6’7” (201 cm), completed the bigs. Other effective experienced players were Yury Korneev and little Armenak Alachachan a quick guard and a demon in ball handling.
USA and USSR were placed as top seed in different round-robin groups (each of 8 nations) and didn’t meet until the final.
In the first three games USA recorded clear wins (vs Australia, Finland and Peru), though not fully convincing, mainly due to the strict defense and ball control of Iba’s philosophy, that kept scores low.
The American Olympians really struggled just with Yugoslavia during prelim round and in the first half of the semifinal with Puerto Rico.
USA had just routed Uruguay 83-28 (50-13) playing a near perfect game but the day after was almost upset by a determined Yugoslavian team (playing without its famous Radivoj Korac who got injured early in the tournament). Feeling the pressure of the game (USA had already been upset by Yugoslavs at the 1963 WC) the Americans trailed at times during the 1st half, ending it on a thin margin, 35-34.
US men went ahead in the 2nd half, but with less than 2’ left their lead had been cut to 4 points by an aggressive Yugoslavian defense on their best shooters, Jerry Shipp (22 pts) and Bill Bradley (18). It was “Big George” Wilson who scored two clutch baskets to close the game +8 at 69-61. Slovenian glory Ivo Daneu topped Yugoslavia with 21 pts.
In the two final games of preliminary round USA showed again to be at its best, with a big win over Brazil, 86-53, after a slow start, and a blow-out of undersized Korea 116-50 (70-23 at ht).
Facing Puerto Rico in sf, USA was surprised by the quickness and aggressiveness of Puerto Ricans, trailing 24-23 at ht. But USA reportedly “came up at the beginning of 2nd half with its most explosive burst of the entire tournament outscoring Puerto Rico 22-5 and put the score out of reach”, ending 62-42. Bradley and Shipp topped again the US-scoring with 16 and 14 points. Puerto Ricans lost on fouls center Teofilo Cruz, their best scorer with 10 pts, halfway through the second period.
USSR edged Brazil in the other sf, 53-47 pushing back the desperate attempts of a late come back from South Americans.
The final was therefore to be a classic showdown between USA and USSR, the two undefeated teams.
How uncertain were the predictions about the result is witnessed from the words of Lou Rossini, New York University and Puerto Rico head coach, who warned: “The (American) team has definite limitations in material. I don’t think they can win if they find themselves behind (Russia), because I don’t think a pressure defense would affect the Russians. The team also leaves something to be desired in outside shooting ability. The Russians have plenty of experience and are strong on both ends of the court”.
In a perfect “cold war style” an American newspaper titled: “Unbeaten US Cagers Face Toughest Test Against Reds”.
US team started the game sluggish, trailing by max 4 points to USSR (6-2), but after the score was 14-11 for Soviets, Lucious Jackson, Joe Caldwell, Walt Hazzard and Larry Brown sparked a come back that put USA ahead for good (39-31 at ht). Reports told that “The Americans rallied around the shooting and rebounding of muscular Lucious Jackson and the passing wizardry of Walt Hazzard, to reel off 10 straight points and take a lead that never was in jeopardy”.
Russian major offensive threat, center Aleksander Petrov, picked up three fouls early in first half and was held to just four points by the towering Jackson. Lumbering Janis Kruminsh took over for Petrov, but couldn’t handle Jackson.
Russian coach tried to play zone defense but Joe Caldwell (7 FG), Jerry Shipp (5 FG) and Bill Bradley (6/6 FT and 2 FG) were hitting baskets from outside. Gomelsky then tried with press defense, but Bradley and Caldwell did a fine job on ball handling, Walt Hazzard and Larry Brown on passing and the game was soon over. Americans lead went up 20+ by mid of 2nd half, then USA cooled off and controlled the game to the end.
Finally it was strongboy Lucious Jackson who won scoring honors with 17 pts while dominating the boards and everybody from the attendance praised him as the outstanding player of the final. At the game end Jackson announced his willingness to sign soon with Philadelphia 76ers, for the delight of owner Eddie Gottlieb, who attended the final. Better known in his NBA years as “Luke”, Jackson played eight seasons with the 76ers.
Aleksander Travin was the top scorer for USSR with 12, all made in the 1st half, when he played really fine, Kruminsh finally got 11 points, better than Petrov’s 6, and Yury Korneev added 8. Armenak Alachachan (6 pts) was the only Russian capable of competing in ball handling with the Americans.
Behind 23 points of ace Marques Wlamir, Brazil beat Puerto Rico 76-60 for the bronze.
Italy, led by Paolo Vittori, Gianfranco Lombardi and young Massimo Masini, beat Puerto Rico in a prelim game but unexpectedly lost to Poland and Japan and didn't reach the final four, but ended on high note beating Yuogoslavia and Poland to earn the 5th place.
With the triumph at Tokyo, USA went 6-0 vs USSR in the Olympic Games, but 1964’s was also Americans' last win over their archrival at Olympics, as they lost in 1972 (Munich) and 1988 (Seoul), while at Sydney 2000 they won with Russia, a different Nation.
50 years later Bill Bradley, captain of the US gold medal team though being its youngest member, recalls his Olympic experience:
That was the 6th Olympic gold in a row won by the Americans, who brought their winning streak to 47 (vs 0 losses) and the first Olympic laurel for 60-yr old head coach Hank Iba, 30 years coaching at Oklahoma State.
However, up to the final day predictions were split between USA and USSR team, with the Americans approaching the final game not as true favorites, for the first time after five Olympic Games.
Other nations becoming increasingly stronger, such as USSR, Brazil (the 1963 World Champion) and Yugoslavia, who were tabbed as the toughest competitors and a US selection that was rated far below the fabulous 1960 Rome team (the one with Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Jerry Lucas) were the main uncertainty factors on USA’s possibilities of winning another gold.
Anyway, the 1964 US selection was nearly the best available, at amateur level. The team was made of college and AAU players (AAU/ Industrial League recruited after-college players who didn’t or couldn’t join NBA, and maintained their amateur status), after a Trials tournament held in New York that fielded 96 players from eight teams (3 from NCAA, 1 from NAIA, 2 each from AAU and Armed Forces) competing for 12 spots.
The final US Olympic roster included six NCAA players:
- Jim Barnes, 6’8” (203 cm) F/C, Texas Western (NBA 1st round pick)
- Bill Bradley, G/F, Princeton (the only undergrad and youngest member)
- Joe Caldwell, G/F, Arizona State
- Mel Counts, C, a 7-footer from Oregon State
- Walt Hazzard, G, UCLA (and NCAA Player of the Year & Tournament MVP)
- Jeff Mullins, G, Duke
One player from NAIA (little colleges):
- Lucious Jackson, 6’9” (205 cm) C, Pan American (and NAIA Tournament MVP)
Five from AAU:
- Larry Brown, G, (AAU Tournament MVP)
- Dick Davies, G, (the younger brother of Bob Davies, all-time great with Rochester Royals of NBA’s early years)
- Pete McCaffrey, 6’7” (201 cm) Fw,
all three from AAU champ Akron Goodyear Wingfoots;
- Jerry Shipp, Fw, from Phillips 66ers
- George Wilson, 6’8” (203 cm) F/C, from Cincinnati University but an AAU entry at the trials from Chicago Jamaco Saints.
Jackson, McCaffrey and Shipp had already earned international experience with US NT at the 1963 Pan Am Games and WC.
All collegians plus Brown and Wilson would later enjoy solid pro careers in NBA and ABA.
The trials were played early in April and the US squad assembled at the beginning of September, travelling to Hawaii for a training camp of 18 days under coach Iba. While in Hawaii the team scrimmaged with the local US-Service teams in four exhibitions.
Upon Sept 20, the Olympic squad returned to the mainland and played three further exhibition games under international rules with NBA teams San Francisco Warriors, Cincinnati Royals and Baltimore Bullets.
US Olympic team won the first game with San Francisco Warriors (led by Wilt Chamberlain) and lost the other two, despite brilliant shooting from Jerry Shipp.
In Tokyo, USSR was everybody’s pick as the main contender of USA for the gold. Russian team was coached by HoF Aleksander Gomelsky and fielded a tall frontcourt, topped by old skyscraper Janis Kruminsh (7’ 2”1/2, 219 cm) and more agile Aleksander Petrov (6’11”, 211 cm), backed up by young Yaak Lipso (6’8”, 203 cm). Veteran fw Gennady Volnov and classy Aleksander Travin, both 6’7” (201 cm), completed the bigs. Other effective experienced players were Yury Korneev and little Armenak Alachachan a quick guard and a demon in ball handling.
USA and USSR were placed as top seed in different round-robin groups (each of 8 nations) and didn’t meet until the final.
In the first three games USA recorded clear wins (vs Australia, Finland and Peru), though not fully convincing, mainly due to the strict defense and ball control of Iba’s philosophy, that kept scores low.
The American Olympians really struggled just with Yugoslavia during prelim round and in the first half of the semifinal with Puerto Rico.
USA had just routed Uruguay 83-28 (50-13) playing a near perfect game but the day after was almost upset by a determined Yugoslavian team (playing without its famous Radivoj Korac who got injured early in the tournament). Feeling the pressure of the game (USA had already been upset by Yugoslavs at the 1963 WC) the Americans trailed at times during the 1st half, ending it on a thin margin, 35-34.
US men went ahead in the 2nd half, but with less than 2’ left their lead had been cut to 4 points by an aggressive Yugoslavian defense on their best shooters, Jerry Shipp (22 pts) and Bill Bradley (18). It was “Big George” Wilson who scored two clutch baskets to close the game +8 at 69-61. Slovenian glory Ivo Daneu topped Yugoslavia with 21 pts.
In the two final games of preliminary round USA showed again to be at its best, with a big win over Brazil, 86-53, after a slow start, and a blow-out of undersized Korea 116-50 (70-23 at ht).
Facing Puerto Rico in sf, USA was surprised by the quickness and aggressiveness of Puerto Ricans, trailing 24-23 at ht. But USA reportedly “came up at the beginning of 2nd half with its most explosive burst of the entire tournament outscoring Puerto Rico 22-5 and put the score out of reach”, ending 62-42. Bradley and Shipp topped again the US-scoring with 16 and 14 points. Puerto Ricans lost on fouls center Teofilo Cruz, their best scorer with 10 pts, halfway through the second period.
USSR edged Brazil in the other sf, 53-47 pushing back the desperate attempts of a late come back from South Americans.
The final was therefore to be a classic showdown between USA and USSR, the two undefeated teams.
How uncertain were the predictions about the result is witnessed from the words of Lou Rossini, New York University and Puerto Rico head coach, who warned: “The (American) team has definite limitations in material. I don’t think they can win if they find themselves behind (Russia), because I don’t think a pressure defense would affect the Russians. The team also leaves something to be desired in outside shooting ability. The Russians have plenty of experience and are strong on both ends of the court”.
In a perfect “cold war style” an American newspaper titled: “Unbeaten US Cagers Face Toughest Test Against Reds”.
US team started the game sluggish, trailing by max 4 points to USSR (6-2), but after the score was 14-11 for Soviets, Lucious Jackson, Joe Caldwell, Walt Hazzard and Larry Brown sparked a come back that put USA ahead for good (39-31 at ht). Reports told that “The Americans rallied around the shooting and rebounding of muscular Lucious Jackson and the passing wizardry of Walt Hazzard, to reel off 10 straight points and take a lead that never was in jeopardy”.
Russian major offensive threat, center Aleksander Petrov, picked up three fouls early in first half and was held to just four points by the towering Jackson. Lumbering Janis Kruminsh took over for Petrov, but couldn’t handle Jackson.
Russian coach tried to play zone defense but Joe Caldwell (7 FG), Jerry Shipp (5 FG) and Bill Bradley (6/6 FT and 2 FG) were hitting baskets from outside. Gomelsky then tried with press defense, but Bradley and Caldwell did a fine job on ball handling, Walt Hazzard and Larry Brown on passing and the game was soon over. Americans lead went up 20+ by mid of 2nd half, then USA cooled off and controlled the game to the end.
Finally it was strongboy Lucious Jackson who won scoring honors with 17 pts while dominating the boards and everybody from the attendance praised him as the outstanding player of the final. At the game end Jackson announced his willingness to sign soon with Philadelphia 76ers, for the delight of owner Eddie Gottlieb, who attended the final. Better known in his NBA years as “Luke”, Jackson played eight seasons with the 76ers.
Aleksander Travin was the top scorer for USSR with 12, all made in the 1st half, when he played really fine, Kruminsh finally got 11 points, better than Petrov’s 6, and Yury Korneev added 8. Armenak Alachachan (6 pts) was the only Russian capable of competing in ball handling with the Americans.
Behind 23 points of ace Marques Wlamir, Brazil beat Puerto Rico 76-60 for the bronze.
Italy, led by Paolo Vittori, Gianfranco Lombardi and young Massimo Masini, beat Puerto Rico in a prelim game but unexpectedly lost to Poland and Japan and didn't reach the final four, but ended on high note beating Yuogoslavia and Poland to earn the 5th place.
With the triumph at Tokyo, USA went 6-0 vs USSR in the Olympic Games, but 1964’s was also Americans' last win over their archrival at Olympics, as they lost in 1972 (Munich) and 1988 (Seoul), while at Sydney 2000 they won with Russia, a different Nation.
50 years later Bill Bradley, captain of the US gold medal team though being its youngest member, recalls his Olympic experience:
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