What is the first WC you remember?

[Tevfik1907]

I was waiting in the passport queue in Chicago when this game was being played. I was dying out to find out what was the result, i didn't have a phone with internet. I called a friend to ask the result, he said it's not over yet, it's the last 20 seconds or something, and he communicated the game to me on the phone. at the end I was jumping in the line like an idiot (yeah that's my style), people looking at me weird. I guess I was the happiest entrant to the US that day.

PS. It was also probably the ugliest day at IBN. It was a total shitshow. Massive number of members (Serbian & Turkish) were banned, many threads deleted/locked.

2010 was a really great year for us, also Greece game was great too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQQB-QGGCq8

[slice me nice]

The first WC I remember is 2002. I wasn't playing or really following basketball back then, but I watched Turkey's games and some other games. Everyone was hyped up after 2001 but it was really an underachievement. One thing I do vividly remember is "12 giant men" commercials and masks of our players that were distributed by Garanti (bank).

What about the whole team except Kutluay dyed their hairs blonde? Terrible synergy method ever. The team decided this after some Turkish national football team players (E.g Davala ) got their hairs cut in weird styles during fabulous WC 2002. They strangely connected the rate of good performance with funniness of hair. Kutluay objected the team and didn't dye his hair. After the tournament, all eyes were on him and he is pointed as the reason of this unsuccessful tourney as he broke the synergy of team according to some media members. So his obstinacy literally put a jinx on team

https://twitter.com/hidoturkoglu15/status/566352266584940544

[Adon]

Yugoslavia played in 1999. We actually won the Bronze. But that team was painful to watch. Italians got their revenge on us in the Semi-Finals for the 1997 Eurobasket Final where they scored 49 points

You are thinking Eurobasket 1993, when Pesic won with Germany. That's when we were out due to sanctions, along with 1992 Barcelona Olympics and 1994 Toronto WC.

My bad. In the 90s I was experimenting (a lot )with psychedelics and that decade is a blur

[vivo]

What about the whole team except Kutluay dyed their hairs blonde? Terrible synergy method ever. The team decided this after some Turkish national football team players (E.g Davala ) got their hairs cut in weird styles during fabulous WC 2002. They strangely connected the rate of good performance with funniness of hair. Kutluay objected the team and didn't dye his hair. After the tournament, all eyes were on him and he is pointed as the reason of this unsuccessful tourney as he broke the synergy of team according to some media members. So his obstinacy literally put a jinx on team

https://twitter.com/hidoturkoglu15/s...52266584940544

God, it is so terrible apparently I deleted it out of my mind

[HeinrichMohr]

My first World Championship was 1986 too just like other people here because i don't remember anything from 1982. I was 8 years old and it was special to me not only because it was the first one that i remember but also because the Soviet Union played the group stage games in my hometown. I remember the impact of Vladimir Tkachenko even though the good one was Arvydas. Anyway the image of the big guy with moustache and the words "CCCP" in his chest became absolutely iconic to the point in which the kids playing basketball that were tall, were not tall... they were "Tachenkos" cause we had no clue about how it was spelled.

Not to mention Drazen Petrovic and the comeback of the Soviet Union in the semifinals. People were rooting the ones in red and Petrovic was so annoyed that was reported to have said "i'm not going to play in this country (Spain) ever again". Two years later he played for Real Madrid. Finally i should recall Muggsy Bogues that taught kids like me that you can play ball even if you are small and the quality of Oscar Schmidt Becerra that ended up playing in Spain too.

[Nemanja]

2002 . I had six and a half years . Like child I devotedly followed sport ,even voleyball and water polo .I dont precisely remember how,but I was well informed about world basktball in that time .Although,I almost nothing remember from Eurobasket 2001 ,and I didnt watched Nba ,due terms .But I knew for example, very good who is Nash ,and what their absence significants to Canada .

What I remember from tournament.I didnt watched Yugoslavia-Usa, because unlike my family I wasnt sleeped before game,because game was played by CET 2 or 3 hours after midnight .And I watched Germany -Spain quarter-final .I dont remember anything from this game,but I remember that is game due I missed hystorical win against Usa. By the way,Germany was very good on this tournament.In semi-final,Yugoslavia against New Zealand ,I remember we had - 15 at half time, at finally we won +15 . Final against Argentina that lasted 3 hours ,intense game for God sake ,psychologically tough ,Argentina played a little bit better,Oberto scored 25 or 30 points ,probbably best game in carreer ,Ginobili played little due injury ,but had some contribution, during the game looks like Argentina will win ,but no one wholly can says why we won? Bodiroga played amazing ,others played appropriately .

[HeinrichMohr]

Bodiroga played amazing ,others played appropriately .

I remember when everybody was saying that the star was Stojakovic, yet when games became ugly the ball was for Bodiroga.

[usagre]

I remember when everybody was saying that the star was Stojakovic, yet when games became ugly the ball was for Bodiroga.

That team was loaded. Proof of that was Bodiroga had a bad game in the quarterfinals against the US and they still won.

[madmax]

1998 WC for me. Watched majority of the games, as I still had plenty of time on my teenager hands and was rooting passionately against Yugoslavia (to no avail though, as they were too good back then for any team not comprised of NBA stars lol). I also remember almost jumping through the roof when a modest russian side beat pedestrian US squad too

[Nemanja]

I remember when everybody was saying that the star was Stojakovic, yet when games became ugly the ball was for Bodiroga.

I watched full game replay ,one year ago or two year ago .Stojakovic made a lot shoots ,in some part of game he kept team ,but little a bit forced ,that is visible on box score,shoot for 3p had maybe 2-11.

[CoachZ]

I watched full game replay ,one year ago or two year ago .Stojakovic made a lot shoots ,in some part of game he kept team ,but little a bit forced ,that is visible on box score,shoot for 3p had maybe 2-11.

He had 26 points, with 2/12 from 3, but 6/8 for 2 and 8/8 from the line

If it wasn't for that game, shooting so much 3s, he would've finished the tournament with 50%+ FG, 40%+ 3 and 90%+ FT.

[Jon_Koncak]

Bodiroga was god awful in the semis against that bad USA team and watching that game made you realise why he never atempted to play overseas.

[CoachZ]

Bodiroga was god awful in the semis against that bad USA team and watching that game made you realise why he never atempted to play overseas.

It was actually in the 1/4 Finals. Semis were versus New Zealand

And so many of us were richer for that experience, that he didn't go overseas to warm bench for someone.

[micko]

it seems that I'm the oldest here. The first WC I remember was the '78 title in Manila on our black and white TV when our team won, and a great joy it brought to my home town winning against Soviets in the overtime game with one of the guys on the team who lived a hundred yards from our house - Radovanović, and with another one of the local players on the team - legendary Delibasic. The win was also announcing the upcoming success of the local club that won an equivalent to today's Euroleague title the following year after that WC. It proved that winning in 1970 was not a fluke.

The next two WCs were interesting but bring bad memories. The 1982 WC was broadcast in the middle of the night and I missed watching many games but was awake and watching with huge disappointment the very end of the deciding medal round game we lost when Soviets squeezed out a win after we were ahead most of the game. And 1986 - and the unfortunate choking wasting a 9 point lead in the last 50 or so seconds, which hurts to this day.

[Tesla]

I was too young to watch it but through replays in the following years the first World Cup I remember is Argentina 1990 won by Yugoslavia against Soviet Union. I just remember a lot of replays on Serbian tv. Pretty sure Divac scored a shot back to basket over his head against someone. I mean when was the last time that was even attempted? I'm sure someone here remembers which game. Something audacious as that reminds me of Jordan taking a free throw with his eyes closed... After 1990, Yugoslavia/Serbia was suspended from participating in sports for about 5 years. This was such a painful period for all sports especially basketball. As soon as sanctions were lifted Yugoslavia won the first tournament they were allowed to participate in, the Eurobasket in Greece which I think really set up the entire mentality of Serbian basketball. Unfortunately the same thing didn't happen in football. Croatia came third in France 98 when Serbia were suspended and that really set them up when Serbia could only watch.