FIBA Basketball World Cup Memorable Moments: USA claim third world title

MADRID (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - The United States squad that showed up to play at the 1994 FIBA World Championship in Toronto had a tough act to follow.

How could any side compete with the memory of what had happened two years before, when the Americans assembled their 'Dream Team' for the Barcelona Olympics, something that created a seismic shock in international basketball.

A USA side that had iconic players like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, just to name a few, had stormed to the Gold Medal in Spain.

The hoops world changed, with new fans drawn to the sport and youngsters all over the world deciding they wanted to "be like Mike".

Canada was also about to have a couple of NBA teams called the Vancouver (now Memphis) Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors.

In 1994, the Americans had a completely new team, yet one that many described as Dream Team II.

It, too, was full of NBA All-Stars.

All 12 members of the squad and the coach, Golden State Warriors boss Don Nelson, were household names for fans in the United States.

From Indiana Pacers great Reggie Miller to Orlando Magic center Shaquille O'Neal, the USA were stocked with talent.

They travelled to Canada as prohibitive favorites for the world title, although there were some real stars on the rosters of other teams like Andrew Gaze of Australia, Dino Radja, Toni Kukoc and Stojan Vrankovic of Croatia and future NBA MVP, Steve Nash of Canada.

Their first game caused a buzz, not only because a global audience wanted to see if the latest version of the USA national team was as good as the one in '92, but because the opponents were Spain.

That Spanish side had its own icons, players like Juan A. San Epifanio 'Epi' Ruiz and Jordi Villacampa.

There was also Juan Antonio Orenga, a 28-year-old center who is now the head coach of Spain's national team.

The USA had no trouble putting points on the board, pouring in 59 in the first half, yet Spain stayed within striking distance by scoring 51 themselves.

The Americans, getting a game-high 21 points from Detroit Pistons great Joe Dumars and 20 from Miller, won 115-100.

Miller was four of nine from the arc and Dumars five of eight.

Shawn Kemp, who jumped straight from high school to the NBA and played for the Seattle Supersonics, had nine points and 10 rebounds.

That game was the closest the Americans would have in Canada because they were like a scythe slicing wheat the rest of the way.

The USA blew out China (132-77) and Brazil (105-82) to finish top of their group in the Preliminary Round and then cruised to victories over Australia (130-74), Puerto Rico (134-83) and Russia (111-94) in the Quarter-Final Round.

Greece, with Panagiotis Giannakis among their players, accomplished something no other team did in the Semi-Finals by holding the United States under 100 points in their Semi-Final.

The USA only led 40-30 at half-time but with Miller's 14 points leading a balanced scoring attack, the favorites pulled away after the intermission for a 97-58 victory.

Russia won the honor of taking on the United States for the championship after edging a star-studded Croatia in a thrilling Semi-Final, 66-64.

Serguei Bazarevitch had 16 points, Serguei Babkov 13 and Vassily Karasev, Russia's current national team coach, added 11 with six rebounds in the triumph.

Taking on the Russians for the second time in the competition, the USA made quick work of them.

Nelson's team made 16 of their first 17 shots and rolled to a 137-91 triumph - the second most ever by the Americans in the World Championship.

Dominique Wilkins had 20 points and O'Neal 18 with 10 rebounds.

The title was a third for the USA at FIBA World Championships, with the first two in 1954 and 1986.

Croatia, playing a year after the tragic death of Drazen Petrovic, one of the greatest players in the history of European basketball, still managed to reach the podium by defeating Greece in the Third-Place Game.

Radja and Kukoc, who had had just launched their respective NBA careers with the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls, had 22 and 14 points, respectively, for Croatia in a 78-60 victory over the Greeks.

Arijan Komazec also poured in 21 and collected nine rebounds.

FIBA