(originally posted by Federoy, 03-30-2004, 10:45 PM)
My best ever international teams are (excluding the US):
1. 1988 Soviet National Team: A very talented, fundamentally sound team led by Lithuanians Sarunas Marciulionis and Arvydas Sabonis along with Russian Alexander Volkov. This Soviet team compiled a perfect 8-0 record en route to their second ever gold medal, defeating the heavily favorite US team in the final. There are many basketball analyst who suggest that the advent of the US "dream team" was in some part influenced by the Soviet's capture of the 88 gold medal.
2. 1990 Yugoslavian National Team: Probably the most offensively explosive Yugoslav team ever created. This team featured the likes of Vlade Divac, Toni Kukoc, Drazen Petrovic, and Dino Radja. Like the Soviets in 88, this team earned a perfect 8-0 mark in the 1990 World Championships, beating its closest rivals, the US and the Soviet Union (crushed the USSR by 17 points in the gold medal match, 92-75)
3. 1980 Yugoslavian National Team: This unheralded and often forgotten national team swept through the Moscow Games with a perfect 8-0 record, beating Italy in the final to capture Yugoslavia's first and only Olympic gold medal. This succesor team was primarily comprised of players from the 1978 Yugoslavian team that won gold at world championships in Manilla.
4. 1992 Croatian National Team: Despite losing to the original US Dream Team by 32 in the prelims and 31 in the gold medal match, this Croatian National team is still among the best international teams ever. Ex-Yugoslavian nationals Petrovic, Kukoc, Radja, and Stojan Vrankovic assembled to make up the core of this great team. Arguably, if a team of US collegiates would have made it to the final, they would have had difficulties handling the size and shooting strength of this team. A year later, this team of Croatians would go on to win the 1993 European Championships.
5. 1996 Yugoslavian National Team: Definitely one of the great Yugoslavian teams of all time. Like its predecessors in 1980 and 1990, this team was well balanced offensively and defensively, resulting in solid contributions from its main players Predrag Danilovic, Vlade Divac, Aleksander Djordjevic, and Zarko Paspalj. Although they lost to the US in the gold medal final, unlike most teams the Americans encountered, the Yugoslavs never folded under pressure and kept the game close until the middle of the second half.
6. 2000 Lithuanian National Team: This team is famous for what many thought was impossible: beat a NBA-stocked US team. And they nearly did it twice, losing by just 7 and 2 points respectively! This may not have been the most talented team, but they played hard, together, and with a sense of purpose. Although this team will be remembered for its near upset of the mighty US, its ultimate achievement was winning the bronze medal and losing just two games (both to the US).
7. 1987 Brazillian National Team: Major accomplishment: Defeated the US to claim gold in the Pan-American Games.
8. 1994 Russian National Team: Major accomplishment: Won silver at the 1994 WC
9. 1972 Soviet National Team: Major accomplishment: Won controversial gold medal at the 1972 Munich games
10. 1980 Italian National Team: Major accomplishment: Won silver at the 1980 Moscow Games
1. 1988 Soviet National Team: A very talented, fundamentally sound team led by Lithuanians Sarunas Marciulionis and Arvydas Sabonis along with Russian Alexander Volkov. This Soviet team compiled a perfect 8-0 record en route to their second ever gold medal, defeating the heavily favorite US team in the final. There are many basketball analyst who suggest that the advent of the US "dream team" was in some part influenced by the Soviet's capture of the 88 gold medal.
2. 1990 Yugoslavian National Team: Probably the most offensively explosive Yugoslav team ever created. This team featured the likes of Vlade Divac, Toni Kukoc, Drazen Petrovic, and Dino Radja. Like the Soviets in 88, this team earned a perfect 8-0 mark in the 1990 World Championships, beating its closest rivals, the US and the Soviet Union (crushed the USSR by 17 points in the gold medal match, 92-75)
3. 1980 Yugoslavian National Team: This unheralded and often forgotten national team swept through the Moscow Games with a perfect 8-0 record, beating Italy in the final to capture Yugoslavia's first and only Olympic gold medal. This succesor team was primarily comprised of players from the 1978 Yugoslavian team that won gold at world championships in Manilla.
4. 1992 Croatian National Team: Despite losing to the original US Dream Team by 32 in the prelims and 31 in the gold medal match, this Croatian National team is still among the best international teams ever. Ex-Yugoslavian nationals Petrovic, Kukoc, Radja, and Stojan Vrankovic assembled to make up the core of this great team. Arguably, if a team of US collegiates would have made it to the final, they would have had difficulties handling the size and shooting strength of this team. A year later, this team of Croatians would go on to win the 1993 European Championships.
5. 1996 Yugoslavian National Team: Definitely one of the great Yugoslavian teams of all time. Like its predecessors in 1980 and 1990, this team was well balanced offensively and defensively, resulting in solid contributions from its main players Predrag Danilovic, Vlade Divac, Aleksander Djordjevic, and Zarko Paspalj. Although they lost to the US in the gold medal final, unlike most teams the Americans encountered, the Yugoslavs never folded under pressure and kept the game close until the middle of the second half.
6. 2000 Lithuanian National Team: This team is famous for what many thought was impossible: beat a NBA-stocked US team. And they nearly did it twice, losing by just 7 and 2 points respectively! This may not have been the most talented team, but they played hard, together, and with a sense of purpose. Although this team will be remembered for its near upset of the mighty US, its ultimate achievement was winning the bronze medal and losing just two games (both to the US).
7. 1987 Brazillian National Team: Major accomplishment: Defeated the US to claim gold in the Pan-American Games.
8. 1994 Russian National Team: Major accomplishment: Won silver at the 1994 WC
9. 1972 Soviet National Team: Major accomplishment: Won controversial gold medal at the 1972 Munich games
10. 1980 Italian National Team: Major accomplishment: Won silver at the 1980 Moscow Games
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