Basketball at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Encyclopedia
Basketball
contests at the 1976 Summer Olympics
took place from July 18 to July 27 at the Centre Étienne Desmarteau
and the Montreal Forum
in Montreal
, Canada
. Women's basketball was introduced to the Olympic program for the first time at this Games. The United States
won the gold against Yugoslavia
in the men's tournament, while the Soviet Union won the gold medal against the United States in the women's competition.
may enter up to one men's team with 12 players and up to one women's team with 12 players. Automatic qualifications were granted to the host country for both events plus the three medal winners from the previous Olympic Games
for the men's tournament, and the three first places at the 1975 FIBA World Championship
for the women's tournament. Additional spots for the men's tournament were decided via the continental championships held by FIBA
and an extra qualifying tournament held in Hamilton
, Canada months prior to the contest. The remaining slots for the women's competition were also assigned via another tournament held in the same city.
Egypt and China withdrew from the Olympic Games after one match, following the boycott of several african countries against New Zealand. Japan replaced China, while all matches involving Egypt where forfeited. Puerto Rico qualified after winning the silver medal at the 1975 Pan American Games
, since the gold medal went to the United States, who had already qualified. Replaced China.
Women's tournament:
Tie-breaking criteria:
and the United States, two of the powerhouses at this tournament, finished the preliminary round undefeated. The host nation's team also qualified for the semifinals together with Yugoslavia
. Egypt
's team played only one match against Czechoslovakia
and then left the tournament supporting the boycott of several African countries, and thus forfeiting their remaining matches.
9th−12th Place
Forfeited match.
finished undefeated and took the gold, while the United States
earned the silver medal thanks to a victory over Bulgaria
that broke the tie between the two teams in favor of the former.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
contests at the 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
took place from July 18 to July 27 at the Centre Étienne Desmarteau
Centre Étienne Desmarteau
The Centre Étienne Desmarteau is multi-purpose complex center with 2 arenas in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The first Arena in the complex have 2,200 seat which took Caroline Ouellette's name . The second Arena, more small, have a space for 600 persons. We find also two Olympic gymnasiums, some...
and the Montreal Forum
Montreal Forum
The Montreal Forum was an indoor arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Called "the most storied building in hockey history" by Sporting News, it was home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Maroons from 1924 to 1938 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1926 to 1996...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Women's basketball was introduced to the Olympic program for the first time at this Games. The United States
United States at the 1976 Summer Olympics
The United States competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. 396 competitors, 278 men and 118 women, took part in 189 events in 19 sports.-Medalists:...
won the gold against Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Athletes from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia competed at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada.On July 26, a Croatian nationalist ran onto the field of play during the men's handball match between Yugoslavia and West Germany and burned the Yugoslav flag.-Medalists:-Archery:In...
in the men's tournament, while the Soviet Union won the gold medal against the United States in the women's competition.
Medal summary
| Men's | Phil Ford Steve Sheppard Steve Sheppard Steven Bernard Sheppard is a retired American basketball player, who was nicknamed "Bear".... Adrian Dantley Adrian Dantley Adrian Delano Dantley is a retired American basketball player who played 15 seasons in the NBA, including seven as a member of the Utah Jazz. A forward/guard and six-time NBA All-Star, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008... Walter Davis Walter Davis (basketball) Walter Paul Davis is a retired American basketball player. A 6'6" forward/guard, Davis spent 15 years in the National Basketball Association, spending the bulk of those years with the Phoenix Suns... Quinn Buckner Quinn Buckner William Quinn Buckner, commonly known as Quinn Buckner is a former American professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiately at Indiana University, and was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 7th pick of the 1976 NBA Draft... Ernie Grunfeld Ernie Grunfeld Ernest "Ernie" Grunfeld is the General Manager of the Washington Wizards. He was also once a professional basketball player... Kenneth Carr Kenny Carr Kenneth Alan Carr is a retired American basketball player.A 6'7" forward from North Carolina State University, Carr won a gold medal with the United States national basketball team at the 1976 Summer Olympics... Scott May Scott May Scott Glenn May is a retired American professional basketball player.May was a power forward on the 1976 Indiana basketball team that went undefeated and won the NCAA championship under coach Bobby Knight. May was named NCAA men's basketball national player of the year in 1976... Tate Armstrong Tate Armstrong Michel Taylor "Tate" Armstrong is a retired American basketball player.A 6'3" guard from Duke University, Armstrong won a gold medal with the United States national basketball team at the 1976 Summer Olympics... Tom LaGarde Tom LaGarde Thomas Joseph LaGarde is a retired American basketball player who played in the NBA from 1977 to 1985. After playing collegiately at the University of North Carolina, LaGarde was selected 9th overall in the first round of the 1977 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets.At 6'10" and 220 lb, LaGarde... Philip Hubbard Phil Hubbard Philip "Phil" Gregory Hubbard is a former American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association from 1979 to 1989, and former Assistant Coach of the Washington Wizards under Eddie Jordan.Hubbard played high school basketball... Mitch Kupchak Mitch Kupchak Mitchell "Mitch" Kupchak is a retired American basketball player and current general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers since the 2000–01 NBA season after predecessor Jerry West moved to the Memphis Grizzlies organization.... |
Blagoja Georgievski Dragan Kićanović Dragan Kicanovic Dragan Kićanović is a retired Serbian professional basketball player. A 1.91m tall shooting guard, he played in the 70's and 80's and is considered as one of the best European players and scorers of all time, having won both the Mr. Europa and the Euroscar European Player of the Year awards in... Vinko Jelovac Vinko Jelovac Vinko Jelovac , is a former Croatian basketball player and coach.A long time KK Olimpija player, Jelovac competed at 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics with Yugoslav basketball team. He also competed at World basketball Championships. Jelovac was named Slovenian Sportsman of the year in 1973 and 1974.-... Rajko Žižić Rajko Žižić Rajko Žižić was a Montenegrin basketball player from Milojevići, Nikšić. The 6'11", 243 pounder represented Yugoslavia at the 1976 Summer Olympics, the 1980 Summer Olympics and the 1984 Summer Olympics, winning silver, gold and bronze respectively.-Club history:*1970-1971 Sutjeska*1971-1981 OKK... Željko Jerkov Andro Knego Zoran Slavnić Zoran Slavnić Zoran "Moka" Slavnić is a Serbian retired basketball player and current coach. He played with KK Crvena zvezda for 10 senior seasons. One of the best European point gards of all time. With KK Crvena zvezda he won 2 National Championships, 3 National Cups and one Saporta Cup. He also won ACB with... Krešimir Ćosić Krešimir Cosic Krešimir Ćosić was a Croatian professional basketball player who represented Yugoslavia internationally, a member of FIBA Hall of Fame and Basketball Hall of Fame... Damir Šolman Žarko Varajić Žarko Varajic Žarko Varajić is a retired Montenegrin basketball player that represented SFR Yugoslavia as a player, including at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, where he won a silver medal.In 1979, Varajić scored 45 points - the record in the number of points scored in the final matches of... Dražen Dalipagić Dražen Dalipagic Dražen Dalipagić , born in Mostar, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia) is a retired Yugoslavian basketball player. He was enshrined as a player in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.-Yugoslavian national team:... Mirza Delibašić Mirza Delibašic Mirza Delibašić was a Bosnian basketball player. He was born in Tuzla, located in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the former Yugoslavia.- Career :... |
Vladimir Arzamaskov Aleksandr Salnikov Valery Miloserdov Alzhan Zharmukhamedov Alzhan Zharmukhamedov Alzhan Musurbekovich Zharmukhamedov is a retired Kazakh basketball player who won gold medal in 1972 Olympic Games while playing for the USSR basketball team. He can be considered as the first ethnic Kazakh to become an Olympic champion.... Andrei Makeev Ivan Edeshko Ivan Edeshko Ivan Ivanovich Edeshko is a retired Belarusian professional basketball player who won gold with the Soviet national team in the 1972 Olympics, in which his all court inbound pass led to Alexander Belov's game-winning basket with no time left in the gold medal game against the American national... Sergei Belov Sergei Belov Sergei Alexandrovich Belov is a former basketball player, most notably playing for the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games. He trained at Trud Voluntary Sports Society and later at Armed Forces sports society.- Career :... Vladimir Tkachenko Vladimir Tkachenko Vladimir Pyotrovich Tkachenko is a retired Ukrainian professional basketball player. Tkachenko won two Olympics Basketball medals and three FIBA World Championship medals with the Soviet Union national basketball team in a career that lasted 16 years. He was named both the Euroscar and the Mr... Anatoly Myshkin Anatoly Myshkin Anatoly Dmitriyevich Myshkin is a retired Soviet and Russian basketball player. A 6 feet 10 tall cornerman, Myshkin broke all the schemes in European basketball due to his unique skillset. Mobile and aggressive, he possessed the speed and versatility to beat any defender... Mikhail Korkiya Mikhail Korkiya Mikheil Korkia was a Soviet basketball player who won gold with the Soviet basketball team in Basketball at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He trained at Dynamo in Tbilisi.... Aleksandr Belov Aleksandr Belov Alexander Alexandrovich Belov was a Soviet basketball player who won gold with the Soviet basketball team in Basketball at the 1972 Summer Olympics, scoring the winning basket in the gold medal game.He was the star player of Spartak Leningrad, leading the club to the Soviet national league title... Vladimir Zhigily |
| Women's | Angelė Rupšienė Angelė Rupšienė Angelė Rupšienė is a retired Lithuanian professional basketball player, who played for BC Žalgiris Vilnius... Tatiana Zakharova-Nadirova Raisa Kurvyakova Olga Barisheva Tatyana Ovechkina Tatyana Ovechkina Tatyana Nikolaevna Ovechkina ; is a former Soviet Russian basketball player who played for a national team that won two Olympic gold medals, the 1975 World Championships and six European Championships. Today, she runs the Russia women's national basketball program.Ovechkina was born in Moscow... Nadezhda Shuvayena Uljana Semjonova Nadezhda Zakharova Nelly Feriabnikova Olga Sukharnova Olga Sukharnova Olga Leonidovna Sukharnova is a retired female basketball player, who twice won the gold medal with the Soviet national team at the Summer Olympics; 1976 and 1980.# Participation in the Final Four of the Champions League 1993 in Valencia... Tamara Dauinene Natalya Kilmova |
Cindy Brogdon Susan Rojcewicz Ann Meyers Ann Meyers Ann Meyers Drysdale is a retired American basketball player and sportscaster. She was a standout player in high school, college, the Olympic Games, international tournaments, and the professional levels.Meyers was the first player to be part of the U.S. national team while still in high school... Lusia Harris Lusia Harris Lusia "Lucy" Harris-Stewart is a former American basketball player. Harris is considered to be one of the pioneers of women's basketball... Nancy Dunkle Charlotte Lewis Nancy Lieberman Nancy Lieberman Nancy Elizabeth Lieberman , nicknamed "Lady Magic", is a former professional basketball player who played and coached in the WNBA.Lieberman is regarded as one of the greatest figures in women's basketball.... Gail Marquis Patricia Roberts Mary Anne O'Connor Patricia Head (Pat Summit) Pat Summitt Patricia "Pat" Head Summitt is an American women's college basketball coach. She is currently the head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history of either a men's or women's team in any division... Juliene Brazinski Simpson |
Nadka Golcheva Penka Metodieva Petkana Makaveyeva Snezhana Mihailova Krassima Gyurova Krassimira Bogdanova Todorka Yordanova Diana Dilova Margarita Shturkelova Mania Stoyanova Girgina Skerlatova Penka Stoyanova |
Qualification
An NOCNational Olympic Committee
National Olympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games...
may enter up to one men's team with 12 players and up to one women's team with 12 players. Automatic qualifications were granted to the host country for both events plus the three medal winners from the previous Olympic Games
Basketball at the 1972 Summer Olympics
-Group B:-Medal bracket:-Classification brackets:5th–8th Place9th–12th Place13th–16th Place Forfeited match.-Gold Medal Match controversy:...
for the men's tournament, and the three first places at the 1975 FIBA World Championship
1975 FIBA World Championship for Women
The 1975 FIBA World Championship for Women was hosted by the Colombia from 1975. Soviet Union won the tournament, defeating Japan 106-75 in the final.- Venues :- Final standings :-References:*...
for the women's tournament. Additional spots for the men's tournament were decided via the continental championships held by FIBA
International Basketball Federation
The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA , from its French name Fédération Internationale de Basketball, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball...
and an extra qualifying tournament held in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Canada months prior to the contest. The remaining slots for the women's competition were also assigned via another tournament held in the same city.
Men
| Africa | | Americas | | Asia | | Europe | | Oceania | | Automatic qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |
|
|
– Gold medal Gold medal A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture... in 1972 Basketball at the 1972 Summer Olympics -Group B:-Medal bracket:-Classification brackets:5th–8th Place9th–12th Place13th–16th Place Forfeited match.-Gold Medal Match controversy:... – Silver medal Silver medal A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats.... in 1972 – Bronze medal Bronze medal A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St... in 1972 – Olympic hosts |
Women
| Americas | | Europe | | Automatic qualifiers |
|---|---|---|
| – World Champions 1975 FIBA World Championship for Women The 1975 FIBA World Championship for Women was hosted by the Colombia from 1975. Soviet Union won the tournament, defeating Japan 106-75 in the final.- Venues :- Final standings :-References:*... – 2nd place at the 1975 World Championship – 3rd place at the 1975 World Championship – Olympic hosts |
Egypt and China withdrew from the Olympic Games after one match, following the boycott of several african countries against New Zealand. Japan replaced China, while all matches involving Egypt where forfeited. Puerto Rico qualified after winning the silver medal at the 1975 Pan American Games
Basketball at the 1975 Pan American Games
The Men's Basketball Tournament at the 1975 Pan American Games was held from October 13 to October 25, 1975 in Mexico City, Mexico.-Participating nations:-Final ranking:-References:**...
, since the gold medal went to the United States, who had already qualified. Replaced China.
Format
Men's tournament:- Two groups of six teams are formed, where the top two from each group advance to the semifinals.
- Third and fourth places from each group form an additional bracket to decide 5th–8th places in the final ranking.
- Fifth and sixth places from each group form an additional bracket to decide 9th–12th places in the final ranking.
Women's tournament:
- One round-robinRound-robin tournamentA round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
group is formed containing all six teams, where the final standings are decided.
Tie-breaking criteria:
- Head to head results
- Goal averageGoal differenceIn sports such as ice hockey and association football, goal difference is often the first tiebreaker used to rank teams which finish a league competition with an equal number of points....
(not the goal difference) between the tied teams - Goal average of the tied teams for all teams in its group
Preliminary Round
The first two places in each of the preliminary round groups advanced to the semifinals, where Group A teams would meet Group B teams. The Soviet UnionSoviet Union national basketball team
The Soviet national basketball team was the basketball side that represented the Soviet Union in international competitions. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the successor countries all set up their own national teams...
and the United States, two of the powerhouses at this tournament, finished the preliminary round undefeated. The host nation's team also qualified for the semifinals together with Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national basketball team
The Yugoslavian national basketball team represented the Kingdom and socialist Yugoslavia. Its of governing body was the Basketball Federation of Yugoslavia, whose seat was in Belgrade....
. Egypt
Egypt national basketball team
The Egypt national basketball team is the basketball side that represents Egypt in international competitions.-Eurobasket 1937:The Egyptians finished last at the second European basketball championship, the Eurobasket 1937 held by FIBA Europe continental federation...
's team played only one match against Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national basketball team
The Czechoslovakian national basketball team was the basketball side that represented Czechoslovakia in international competitions. After the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the Czech Republic and Slovakia set up their own national teams.- Medals :...
and then left the tournament supporting the boycott of several African countries, and thus forfeiting their remaining matches.
Group A
| Qualified for the semifinals |
| Team | Pts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 548 | 374 | +174 | 10 | |
| 4 | 1 | 446 | 416 | +30 | 9 | |
| 3 | 2 | 448 | 402 | +46 | 8 | |
| 2 | 3 | 472 | 481 | −9 | 7 | |
| 1 | 4 | 461 | 511 | −50 | 6 | |
| 0 | 5 | 364 | 555 | −191 | 5 |
Group B
| Qualified for the semifinals |
| Team | Pts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 394 | 349 | +45 | 10 | |
| 4 | 1 | 364 | 343 | +21 | 9 | |
| 3 | 2 | 349 | 344 | +5 | 8 | |
| 2 | 3 | 418 | 406 | +12 | 7 | |
| 1 | 4 | 321 | 363 | −42 | 6 | |
| 0 | 1 | 64 | 105 | −41 | 1 |
Championship bracket
Classification brackets
5th−8th Place9th−12th Place
Forfeited match.
Women's Tournament
The first Olympic Basketball Tournament for Women consisted of a single round-robin group, where final standings where determined by the group rankings. The Soviet UnionSoviet Union women's national basketball team
The Soviet Union women's national basketball team was the women's basketball side that represented the Soviet Union in international competitions...
finished undefeated and took the gold, while the United States
United States women's national basketball team
The United States women's national basketball team are the defending Olympic champions in women's basketball. The team is composed of some of the top American players in the WNBA and the women's college game....
earned the silver medal thanks to a victory over Bulgaria
Bulgaria women's national basketball team
The Bulgaria Women's National Basketball Team is the women's national basketball team of Bulgaria.Their achievements range from winning Silver at the 1959 FIBA World Championship for Women up to finishing fifth in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul....
that broke the tie between the two teams in favor of the former.
| Team | Pts | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0 | 504 | 346 | +158 | 10 | ||
| 3 | 2 | 415 | 417 | −2 | 8 | 1W–0L | |
| 3 | 2 | 365 | 377 | −12 | 8 | 0W–1L | |
| 2 | 3 | 351 | 359 | −8 | 7 | 1W–0L | |
| 2 | 3 | 405 | 400 | +5 | 7 | 0W–1L | |
| 0 | 5 | 336 | 477 | −141 | 5 |
Final Standings
| Rank | Men | Women | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | |Pld | |W | |L | |Team | |Pld | |W | |L | |
| 7 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | |||
| 7 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | |||
| 7 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | |||
| 4th | 7 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 5th | 7 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 6th | 7 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 7th | 7 | 4 | 3 | |||||
| 8th | 7 | 2 | 5 | |||||
| 9th | 7 | 3 | 4 | |||||
| 10th | 7 | 2 | 5 | |||||
| 11th | 7 | 1 | 6 | |||||
| 12th | 1 | 0 | 1 | |||||