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From now on, the Lithuanian Basketball Federation (LKF) also offers news about this sport in the magazine “Basketball House”. The quarterly publication reviews the news of the Lithuanian national teams, projects organized by the LKF, and pays attention to the current problems of the basketball leagues and the personalities of this sport.
The fourth issue of the magazine reviewed the performances of the Lithuanian men’s and women’s national teams in the European Championship team, reviewed the most interesting events of the Lithuanian basketball leagues and talks with people from the world of basketball. One of them is the vice president of the Chicago Bulls. Artūras Karnišovas, who recalled the performance of the Lithuanian team at the Atlanta Olympics.
A quarter of a century ago, the Lithuanian men’s basketball team won the Olympic bronze for the second time in a row. These were the last Olympic Games in which the legendary generation of Lithuanian basketball played with Olympic champions Arvydas Sabonis, Šarūnas Marčiulionis and Rimas Kurtinaitis. A. Karnišovas, who photographed the American stars from the bench four years ago in Barcelona, played one of the leading violins and remains the most productive player on the Lithuanian national team, scoring 1,453 points in 1992-1999.
Shortly after celebrating his 50th birthday, a Vilnius resident (true, born in Klaipeda), the son of legendary Vilnius Construction basketball player Mykolas Karnišovas, traveled to his second Olympics when he was 25 years old. The former USSR’s first basketball player, the NCAA, runner-up in Europe, was also recognized as the best European basketball player in 1996. Vladas Garastas, a long-time coach of the Lithuanian basketball team, chose him later to the symbolic national team of the century.
Artūras and I graduated from the same Vilnius basketball school. By the time he was rubbing the spare bench, Artūras, one year older, was already a star, no one could stop him. The team, born in 1971 and coached by Juozas Mateika, with A. Karnišovas, Martynas Purlis, Gediminas Uli, Linas Merkelis and other basketball players of that generation, dominated not only in Lithuania, but also in the then Soviet Union. He later made his debut at Vilnius Construction, where he competed with Š.Marčiulionis, and went to the prestigious Seton Hall University in the USA.
These days, Arthur is very busy with the Chicago Bulls. However, he responded to “Basketball House” questions by email very willingly and without delay. The questions also revived her memories of the Atlanta Olympics.
“I don’t remember the Olympics that often, but the memories are very good. Sometimes when I go to Atlanta and pass through the city, I stop near an old Olympic village. Then I remember it,” said A. Karnišovas.
Awesome preparation
According to A. Karnišovas, the Lithuanian team, which won the first bronze medal in Barcelona four years ago, traveled to the Atlantic thinking about medals.
“The preparation and control game was in America. We had time to prepare. We were in good shape even before the first match for Croatia, “said A. Karnišovas.
According to him, conditions in 1996 were better than in 1992.
“In 1992, in addition to the preparation cycle, we had to beat the qualifiers and play 11 games just to get to Barcelona. In 1996, we already knew that Atlanta was waiting for us and the preparations were very neat and orderly, ”said A. Karnišovas.
However, knowing that the place in Atlanta was guaranteed, the leaders of the Lithuanian team took the opportunity to test the basketball players entering the national team and organized an impressive round of preparation.
The team began preparations for Atlanta in May in Australia (in addition to A. Karnišovas, A. Sabonis, Š.Marčiulionis). For the Australian team, which later broke during the small Atlanta final, the Lithuanians lost five times 65:92 (32:45), 55:82 (24:40), 83: 100 (39:57), 74: 88 (35:45) and 83:85 (38:52). In Germany, when A. Sabonis, a newcomer to the Portland Trail Blazers, joined, Lithuania defeated Germany 84:77 (42:38), Yugoslavia 76:70 (42:39), but lost to Greece 57:77 (30: 42).
After that, the escorts to the Olympics were held in Vilnius, where the Lithuanian team crushed the Ukrainians 109: 62 (59:41).
The road of preparation later led to the United States. In July 1996, the Lithuanians landed in Croatia 65:69 (35:34) in Croatia, a few days later in Los Angeles – Brazil 80:84 (34:45), and then again in Chicago they beat Greece 85:83 ( 42:48).
“I don’t even remember how long we spent flying around the United States, but there was enough preparation,” Karnišov said.
Atlanta
In the Atlanta Century (the Olympic Games were held here 100 years after the first modern Olympic Games – ed.), The Lithuanian national team together with other members of the Olympic delegation of our country settled in the second half of July in the Olympic Park.
“The town was beautiful, with many high-rise houses / dormitories where the Olympians lived. We had to take little trains to the canteen and the bus. It’s true that I thought more about the matches and how to win them than the environment, “said A. Karnišovas.
The Lithuanian team started the Olympic tournament with an impressive duel with the Croats. The match, which required two overtime periods, ended with a victory for Lithuania 83:81 (37:31, 29:35, 6: 6, 11: 9). R. Kurtinaitis scored the last 9 points. The most productive was A. Sabonis (20 points, 14 rebounds), finishing the game earlier with 5 fouls. The second in terms of performance is A. Karnišovas (16 points, 10/15 free throws, 6 rebounds, 4 assists), the third is Š.Marčiulionis, who also left the field earlier for fouls (14 points). A. Karnišovas himself did not finish the match due to injury.
As a result, the Lithuanian national team forward also missed the match with Argentina, which Lithuania lost 61:65 (25:31). A. Sabonis scored 30 points and bounced 11 balls.
“During the first game with Croatia, during extra time, I twisted my ankle sharply and landed on Dino Raja’s leg. My foot looked like a balloon. But I wanted to come back as soon as possible, I only missed one game and went back to the game with America. That’s what I said: I can’t miss a game like this and I forgot all the pain, “said A. Karnišovas.
In the third group match against Lithuania, the US team consisted of David Robinson, Reggie Miller, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, Mitch Richmind, Shaquille O’Neal, Anferenee Hardaway, Karl Malone, Grant Hill, Gary Payton, Hakeem Olajuwon and John Stockton. A. Karnišovas, who was not invited to the NBA, was one of the most productive basketball players ever to play on the field: he scored 15 points (like Darius Lukminas), he bounced 7 balls (like Gintaras Einikis). Only Ch.Barkley – 16 scored more points.
“I had just finished the Spanish championship and I joined the national team very early. He had not lost his shape and was very confident. Playing my favorite basketball for the national team was fun for me and I never ran away from it. It was fun preparing and playing together with that group of men, “recalled A. Karnišovas.
After a day of rest, Lithuania simply ate Angola: 85:49 (37:21). A. Karnišovas was the most productive participant in the match, scoring 20 points. Later, China, which did not yet have Yao Mingo, fell – 116: 55 (53:23). During those matches, 8 Lithuanian basketball players scored double-digit points (mostly 17 – R. Kurtinaitis). A. Karnišovas was again the leader among Lithuanian pitches in the penalty category: he posted 8 out of 9 and scored 12 points.
The Greeks were hoping for second place in the group in the Lithuanians’ quarterfinals. Only their hopes were trampled 99:66 (45:19) by Lithuanian basketball players. The most productive among the Lithuanians was Š.Marčiulionis (16 points, 7 assists). A. Karnišovas and A. Sabonis added 15 points each.
Yugoslav basketball players (some countries, including the US, called it Serbia and Montenegro then, but they officially came into force in 2003) made their way to the Lithuanians in the semi-finals. A year ago, they had beaten the Lithuanian team in the scandalous final of the European Championship 96:90. So now the Lithuanians wanted to retaliate. Only the rematch failed, despite the fact that Lithuania had beaten Yugoslavia during the preparations. The Lithuanians lost 58:66 (31:35). The surprising Yugoslav duo Predrag Danilovičius and Aleksandras Džordževičius together scored more than half of their team’s points (19 and 16, respectively). Lithuania was driven in by R. Kurtinaitis (38 minutes, 22 points) and A. Sabonis (40 minutes, 14 points). A. Karnišovas added 8 points. Only 7 Lithuanians appeared in the square.
“It is a very painful defeat. The fight against the Serbs is always based on principles and there is no lack of motivation. However, we couldn’t get past them that day, “said A. Karnišovas.
Like four years ago in Barcelona, the Lithuanian team lost the opportunity to play in the Olympic final, where they could face the American team that beat Australia by 101: 73. In the small final, the Lithuanians waited for the Australians , against whom the Lithuanian team had lost five times during preparations.
“I always remember the bronze match, because victory brings a lot of joy. You remember how much you sweated in preparation for the competition and the match, and the culmination is exactly that match for the medal. All the men were in a good mood before the game and we were able to snatch the victory against the Australians, “said A. Karnišovas.
Lithuania beat Australia 80:74 (36:34).
“I remember Sabas was on his wings and he played a very good game. All the men were in a good mood and wanted to recover after the defeat of the Serbs, “said A. Karnišovas.
Sabonis was truly unstoppable. In 40 minutes, he scored 30 points, hit 3 of 4 triples and bounced 13 balls. A.Karnišovas scored 21 points (3/6 triples, 4/5 from penalties), Š. Marčiulionis – 16 points (9 assists).
After the victory
“We returned to the Olympic Campus and the celebration began. We were meeting and, I remember, we took the train singing Lithuanian songs. It was fun, “recalls A. Karnišovas.
But he could not celebrate the victory for long.
“It just came to our notice then. The preparations for the new season started early and last season was very long. After those summers, my form was always good at the beginning of the season. But in January the fatigue sets in and it seems to have there was little of that free time. However, those moments and victories in the Lithuanian team were worth it. I loved that style of basketball and it was a great honor to play for Lithuania, “said A. Karnišovas.
At the end of 1996, he was voted the best European basketball player. This year, the legendary coach V. Garastas, who was asked to include the iconic Lithuanian team of all time, was the first to mention A. Karnišov in the forward position.
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