GER - Basketball returns to Munich's Olympic Arena

MUNICH (BBL) - The last time the Rudi Sedlmayer Halle was the focal point of the basketball world was the final of the 1972 Olympics. Now the facility, renamed the Audi Dome and given a total facelift, is making headlines as the new home of the Bayern Munich basketball project.

“Our footballers have the Allianz Arena. Now the basketball players have their own home with the Audi Dome,” said Bayern President Uli Hoeness after Bayern’s 78-73 victory over Fenerbahce in the grand opening of the Audi Dome on Thursday in downtown Munich.

Despite the on-going Octoberfest in the Bavarian capital, sunny weather, nightmare traffic and a Munich tramline going down, some 6,100 spectators came out to the arena, which underwent renovations for about 5 million euro and now will seat 6,700 fans.

There was plenty of prominence at the game, which came four days before Bayern’s German BBL season opener as the most highly touted promoted club in league history.

German national team footballer Bastian Schweinsteiger was there with his girlfriend while Bayern Munich and football legend Paul Breitner was also on hand as well former Bavarian State Premier Edmund Stoiber.

“This is a great basketball arena. But the atmosphere will be even more euphoric when the season starts,” said Stoiber.

And Breitner joked: “When we reach the Euroleague one day then we will just move over to the Allianz Arena and put a roof on it.”

Bayern coach Dirk Bauermann added: “I am very satisfied that the hall was full and the excitement from last year lives on.”

And Munich basketball personnel director Marko Pesic was impressed with the opening crowd and understands that the Bayern crowd is still developing after moving from a 3,200-seat ice hockey facility last season to the Audi Dome.

“The fans have to get used to it. For the first time I thought it was super. But it has to grow – the feel for the arena and the feel for the person sitting next to you,” said Pesic.

The son of coaching legend Svetislav Pesic compared the situation to Bayern football. “I went a game at the Allianz Arena. And there were people who were sitting next to each other for years. That’s interesting. Here it’s the first time. And that needs to grow.”

One big advantage is that Bayern’s basketball mission is just starting – even more so their new life in their new living room. And Munich and their fans hope the Audi Dome provides its share of highlights to top even the big showpiece from 1972.

FIBA

Quick note about the 1972 Olympic Basketball Final

On September 10, 1972, the United States appeared to have beaten the Soviet Union in the gold medal game. After the Soviets in-bounded the ball with three seconds left the horn went off signaling a U.S. victory. But the referees argued that the clock had not been properly re-set and the Soviets were given another in-bounds opportunity and Alexander Belov made the game-winning lay-up as time ran out in the Soviet Union’s 51-50 victory. The Americans refused to accept their silver medals.