Doug Collins: 1972 Munich Olympics

Current 76ers head coach and former NBA broadcaster Doug Collins competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics on the Team USA Mens Basketball team. Team USA lost the gold medal game to Russia in a controversial finish.
Here is the conversation Dei Lynam had with Doug Collins where he discusses the 1972 games and how his son helped right a 40-year wrong.
Originally seen on Comcast SportsNet.
Editor/Producer: Justin Krapf
Written by: Dei Lynam

[@MVPro-Imagemaker]

Doug was a warrior.

[@JohnSmith-op1tc]

You'd have to be, to show up for a TV interview with a shirt like that.

[@rydermccall3590]

IS a warrior

[@unappealingundesirable2826]

I was born in Seattle in 1973, where I grew up. Sonics and Blazers fan. Japanese-American (showing HOW I grew up). Why does Doug Collins cry so much?

[@paleo704]

Why do you?

[@unappealingundesirable2826]

@@paleo704 I'm male, so I don't cry. I haven't cried since 5th grade. I WANT to cry, but because I'm male, and from the USA, I've basically been taught that I can't cry.

[@varrick1226]

No one cares about you, but they do Doug Collins. See how that works!

[@oldmansportsog2514]

​@@unappealingundesirable2826wtf you talking about in usa you taught not to cry as a male?

[@Sargebri]

This was a B-team the US sent. The US should have named John Wooden as coach and he would have made sure that the best players would have been on that team namely Bill Walton, Keith Wilkes, Bob McAdoo, Henry Bibby and Paul Westphal.

[@patrickgray5633]

Bill Walton did want to play but didn't want to try out that is why he wasnt there. His backup at UCLA Swen Nater couldn't handle the boot camp basic structure that Coach Henry Iba used. All the coaches said Swen Nater was a game changer a 6"10 guy who could really shoot the ball.

[@Sargebri]

@@patrickgray5633 Yeah, but I still think that if Wooden had been named the coach he would have not only persuaded Walton to try out but we would have had a truly unbeatable team. Unfortunately, due to a dispute between the AAU and the NCAA over who should name the coach Wooden never got to coach the 72 team, which he should have done.

[@69FOSTER]

@@patrickgray5633 Swen Nater is 6'11'' and not only could he shoot, but he was a good rebounder. Nater said he was starved and lost weight during the training camp, the coaches were unbending and would not give in at all. That team used a slow tempo passing game instead of running, which is what some of the players said they did best.

[@anwjuice]

Not only that but Russia was full of pro players. Imagine had we sent NBA players. Especially 70s NBA those guys would of been brawling them Russians had this happened to them

[@Sargebri]

@@anwjuice Yup. They were still considered amateurs due to the fact that while they were paid by the state, they didn't compete in any of the pro leagues in Europe.

[@tjstrong3607]

Glad Doug fianally got that medal--- anybody old enough to see the game knows it was stolen from the US. Doug got undercut so bad on that foul, and the Russian guy on the floor is a total hack. Haters always say Russia called timeout, etc-- even if they did, after the 1st chance-- they STILL got a 2nd chance and that missed. At this point- the games over--- if the Russians STILL didn't get their timeout-- too bad-- but a THIRD chance? It was all such bs, it was about The TEAM, not that the US hadn't lost in the Olympics, etc. etc... you don't think that way during the game-- RIP Coach Ibba..

[@daniellachowcorrea209]

The whole USA Team should have simply abandoned the basketball court after the game was originally over.

[@basiclyric]

glad it happen because that fuels the usa to evem more great than ever

[@erboulat]

There was no Russia in that game, common.

[@paleo704]

The Soviet Union is what Russia was called back then

[@dopeshitislit]

And who was then? Brazil?

[@erboulat]

@@dopeshitislit USSR!!!

[@paulsolon6229]

First, the hard foul on Collins sd have been flagrant, a football move Second, key great free throws under pressure by Collins Third, the most superb play was the first inbounds toss, that ball amazingly almost went in, was stupendous Russian shot Fourth, USA on first inbounds plays D correctly and places man in front of inbounder Fifth, USA blows it, on second inbounds no one on the inbounder! Ugh. Stupid mistake by USA. Sixth, a superb second inbounds, perfect, long pass. Seventh, the decider to put time back on the clock was not a Soviet, a Brit he was Eight, on appeal it was not three soviets denying appeal, it was 2, joined by one westerner. That second inbounds pass cd never have been made if USA had defended against the inbounder. A mistake USA cannot acknowledge Did the refs get it rt? I don’t know. I think for first inbounds probably yes, for second inbounds probably no. But am not sure. For the soviets this was a win akin to our hockey win against them lake placid

[@reyder7661]

Rubbisg

[@paulsolon6229]

@@reyder7661 0

[@jamessollazzo4860]

hank iba should of pulled them off the court after the 2nd try they took advantage of a old man

[@johnburns4017]

Randy Harvey of the LA Times, *_"The Americans thought at every turn they had been cheated. They probably hadn't been but they still haven't acknowledged that."_* *1.* The Soviet's bench called a timeout when Collins was on the court's floor running into the scaffolding, after being fouled. 3 seconds remain. *2.* The Soviet bench *did not* call timeout between Collins' two foul shots, or after when the Soviets went up the court. It was *before* these two events. *3.* Collins puts the USA ahead with his two baskets. *4.* The horn sounds before Collins pops the second - an odd time for the horn to sound. The horn sounded as the ball had left Collins' hands. *5.* The sounding horn was an acknowledgement that a Soviet timeout should have been awarded earlier. The Soviets did not call timeout illegally between Collins' two shots. Soviet coaches were on the line indicating they want a timeout. *6.* Play _quickly_ resumed after Collins scores, with 3 seconds remaining, with a Soviet inbound *_(1st)._* The Soviet bench were still on the line rightly protesting that they wanted a timeout (called before Collins' baskets & acknowledged by the horn) and that was being ignored. *7.* There was 1 second left. The ref stops play at 1 second left seeing the Soviet bench pointing to him making "T" signs with their hands. *8.* The ref saw this error then compensated slightly setting the clock back to 3 secs taking the ball back to the line for another Soviet inbound, *_(2nd),_* resetting play. 3 seconds now remain. The ref could have started the game at 1 sec remaining, however taking the ball back to the line means resetting the time back to 3 seconds. Now back to the state of play and time after Collins scored. *9.* The ref never gave the Soviet timeout, which he should have done. At this point the Soviets are being cheated. *10.* The Bulgarian umpire, not the Brazilian ref, resumed play before the clock was reset to 3 secs, allowing play to resume at 1 sec on the unset clock with the *_(2nd)_* Soviet inbound. *11.* The US thought the game was over with them winning as the horn was sounded after 1 second. *12.* The Ref saw the errors of: a) not resetting the clock b) resuming play without his authority. He is in charge not the umpire. *13.* The ref puts matters right, resetting the clock to 3 secs taking the ball back to the line for another Soviet inbound, the *_(3rd)._* *There is nothing wrong with that decision.* *14.* The US players fully understood that the clock had not been reset and why play was being resumed. *15.* The Soviets threw the ball up the court from their *_(3rd)_* inbound popping the winning basket within 3 secs. *Winners !!* *The ref did most right - he saw two errors and put matters right.* He should have done more, annulled Collins scores and taken play back to the point that Collins was on the floor when the Soviets called timeout, giving the Soviets the timeout they called for. After the Soviet timeout Collins could take his two free throws again. Or the Soviets could have the timeout between Collins' two throws. The ref was unaware that the Soviets called timeout when Collins was on the floor, the scorer on the desk never informed him. The USA team were beaten fairly. *The USA gripe -* was that Jones the FIBA head, went down to the scorers table and suggested that the clock be reset to 3 secs from 1 sec, as it should have been. The ref was doing this anyhow. He could have suggested taking the play back to the Soviet timeout call, which would have been the fair and right thing to do. He never. The ref had no need to take any notice of anyone, he was 100% in command. The Soviet timeout was called when Collins was on the floor. *The Soviet gripe -* was that their timeout call, when Collins was on the floor, was ignored. They only got 2 seconds more in compensation - that was it - well it was just taking play and time back to the point Collins scored. They never got the timeout they called for with even a horn sounding for it. They got nothing. They made full use of the 3 seconds by putting play back to position after Collins' scored, so were satisfied. .

[@ryanbyrne8371]

Wrong.

[@dominicturmel8166]

Anybody who’s not a commie and has half a brain knew that game was trending not to end unless the USSR was finally going to go ahead as time expired. Only took 2 or 3 more redos. If they could’ve given 10 retries-they would have. That game wasn’t ending without the commies winning...

[@sanD-xq8nb]

You are right.

[@johnburns4017]

@@dominicturmel8166 Do you see Reds under the bed as well?

[@weasel2173]

Once the ball was put in Collins hands for the second free throw NO TIMEOUT COULD BE MADE and Soviets had to try to score with NO STOPPAGES IN PLAY. They couldn't do that so the Soviets DEFINITELY LOST IN my book.

[@stever1791]

I wish Collins would show some Fire for Iba being a lousy coach in these '72 Games. Iba might have been good in the 1950's coaching basketball- But in 1972 this guy was a joke. Slowdown Basketball vs the Russians. When Henderson and McMillen and Bantom said " The hell with this Slowdown ball - we only have a few minutes to win this game. Lets push the ball and pressure Defense to WIN this Game. Accepting a Silver Medal for the '72 Games is a BAD CHOICE. Tell The Olympic Committe to STICK those Silvers

[@gemini7199]

USSR - strong

[@nordmark16]

Gone

[@Skanzool]

This is the worst example of poor sportsmanship in the history of sports. That the USSR won in that fashion? NO, that the US could not accept the fact that they were defeated. Not accepting the medal is poor sportsmanship! Get over it crybabies!!

[@ivellbullock784]

I don't know what year you were born, but watched that game on tv when I was 10. That was a tragic loss for the United States. The officials had robbed USA by putting extra seconds on the clock. Now, I can understand the unsportsmanlike conduct during the medal award ceremony not showing up to accept the silver medals. But to call the 1972 United States Olympic Men's Basketball team crybabies?, you have no damn idea how those young men felt when they had the game stolen from them.

[@buckeyewill2166]

@@ivellbullock784 …I saw that game when I was 12. Our team was robbed and ripped off. Totally painful.

[@ivellbullock784]

@@buckeyewill2166 Doug Collins was on that 1972 team. Many decades later when his son won the gold medal for the United States, he gave it to his dad. Now that's the spirit of a champion. Great as gold.

[@Skanzool]

@@ivellbullock784 Get over it, you lost, accept the defeat like real sportsmen. By the way, there was no foul on Doug Collins. He charged into the air and took out the Soviet player. So in the end the right team won.

[@ivellbullock784]

@@Skanzool Do yourself a favor, watch the documentary on that game. Every player on the USA basketball team live to tell the story.

[@PearlGirl-sx2ky]

This is why no one respects FIBA basketball. It's a joke. The style of play is only slightly more entertaining than the WNBA, the officials are more like political agents than sports referees, and the "matches" are as short as high-school games. Really, 40-minute games and zone defenses are for children's games, not pro-level basketball. And let's not forget that ridiculous trapezoidal lane they used to paint on their courts.