The Other Dream Team Page #3

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We practiced hard,

we were well-conditioned,

well-trained to get out there and play.

We were definitely confident.

We felt that we had a good team.

We never played against Sabonis,

but we'd heard about this guy

so long that he should have

been over into the NBA.

But I guess they wouldn't let him come.

And now let's take a look

at the starting lineups.

They built this Russian team

to actually compete with the NBA,

to compete with

all of the best players in the league.

So they were fighting for something and

we were fighting for something.

In my mind's eye,

I see kind of the middle of the floor.

I see the ball sailing over the midcourt

and Kurtinaitis getting it

and stopping and popping.

He can shoot. I told you, folks.

He can shoot.

The Soviet Union played

a much more appealing game of basketball.

They were the ones that were up and down.

They were the ones

that were controlling the tempo.

They were the ones

that were passing that ball

and hitting the open shots.

Sabonis was the catalyst,

just tossing the ball,

then knocking down jumpers.

And every time it seemed like we got close,

they'd make a big play

and we just couldn't get over the hump.

Five minutes to go

and Marciulionis drops at the other end.

You could tell that they

had it in their eyes

that they were ready to play and they felt

that they could play with us.

And here's the frosting for the USSR.

They win it 82-76.

There's no reason to make any excuses.

They just outplayed us

and they were the better team.

Glasnost means "openness. "

It also means "something

spoken publically" rather than whispered.

Both meanings symbolize

the changes that are now

sweeping Soviet life.

There is the feeling Soviet sports officials

are close to allowing some of their great

athletes to play in America.

It is not something

those officials want to do,

but in this clash

of capitalism and socialism,

money is proving to be the big lure.

My first trip over there

was on an Athletes In Action tour.

I happened to get matched up

against this 6'5" bull

named Sarunas Marciulionis.

And he lit me up for about 40 that night.

So, later on, when I got into scouting,

I say, "Dad, there's a two guard

that's pretty good over there.

"We should try to extract. "

There were two teams vying for him.

And it was the Atlanta Hawks

and the Golden State Warriors.

And I think Don Sr. And Don Jr.

Were very smart.

They went via the Lithuanian angle.

"Lithuania should be independent.

"We respect that, come over. "

I was working on the Hawks' side.

It was different because in our relationship

that my boss Ted Turner had,

not only with the Soviet Olympic Committee,

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