Today in Sports History: April 7th
(Chalmers goes up with his game-tying three. Photo by Streeter Lecka, Getty Images)
4/07/1989 - FIBA allows NBA pros
FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, votes to allow professional basketball players to compete in international events such as the Olympics. For decades, the only players who could represent Team USA were college basketball stars -- now the door had been opened for NBA players to compete as well, meaning that worldwide basketball tournaments would at last be played to their full potential, with the best players competing.
It was this decision that allowed the legendary "Dream Team" to assemble in 1992. Now that they could go for the gold, NBA superstars were quick to add their names to the USA basketball team playing in the Barcelona Olympics. The Dream Team, consisting of Hall of Famers such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley, obliterated the other countries in every game they played. When it was all said over, there was no question who the prohibitive leader in basketball was; it was that standard that foreign countries began preparing for, and when the U.S. team at last presented a weak squad in 2004, it was the other nations' turn to crush their opponent.
4/07/2008 - Chalmers’ three gives Kansas title
With 2:12 left in the 2008 NCAA championship game, the Memphis Tigers had a nine-point lead over the Kansas Jayhawks. Tigers coach John Calipari, who had long been dogged for his inability to succeed in big-game situations, was tantalizingly close to silencing his critics forever. But the Jayhawks went on a spurt and cut it to a two-point lead with only 10.8 seconds to go. Derrick Rose, the Tigers’ budding point guard who would go No. 1 in the 2008 NBA draft, made only the second of his two foul shots, leaving the door open for Kansas.
After Rose’s freebie, Kansas raced into the frontcourt. Calipari had instructed his players to foul and not even allow Kansas to get off a three; in an effort to do just that, Rose gave a soft nudge to Sherron Collins as he was coming up the floor. Collins later said he thought he was fouled on the play, but fortunately for the Jayhawks, it was not called. Collins dished it back to Mario Chalmers, who stepped back to the top of the key and unleashed a three-pointer over Rose. Chalmers’ fading trey knotted it up at 63, sending the game to overtime.
"I thought it was going in when it left my hands. It felt pretty good," said Chalmers. "I had a person in my face. It was just a lucky shot."
In overtime, the demoralized Tigers barely put up a fight. Kansas rolled to a 75-68 win, giving them their first title in 20 years. It was a disastrous loss for the Tigers, who had the game in their hands but couldn’t ice it when they had the chance. Memphis went only 1-5 from the foul line in the final 75 seconds of regulation and committed several key turnovers that led to their demise.
Calipari, who some blamed for not calling a timeout to set up his defense after Rose's free throw, blamed himself for the loss. "That was a game we should have won," he said. "I feel bad for my guys. I take full responsibility. You're supposed to win that game. I'm disappointed in myself. Supposed to win that game. I thought we were national champions."
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