1972 Olympic men's basketball final

Inside view (in 2014) of the Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle, where the final was played

The 1972 Olympic men's basketball final was the last game of that year’s Olympic basketball tournament, and became one of the most controversial events in Olympic history. With the ending mired in controversy, the Soviet Union defeated Team USA by one point, marking the latter's first ever loss in the event. Both the U.S. and the Soviet Union won their first eight games of the tournament, with the U.S. team having its overall Olympic record at 63–0 when they advanced to the final against the USSR. The final three seconds of the game were replayed three times under questionable rule interpretations, leading to an ultimate victory by the Soviet team. The result of the game is disputed to this day, with widespread allegations of political corruption. The United States team had won the previous seven gold medals at the Olympics, and was among the contenders to win another in Munich at the 1972 Summer Olympics.[1][2]

  1. ^ "Biggest Olympic scandals: The most controversial basketball game of all-time".
  2. ^ "10 Things You May Not Know About U.S. Basketball's Shocking 1972 Olympics Loss".