Helsinki, Finland • July 14 - August 2, 1952

For the first time since 1912, the Soviet Union elected to send selected athletes and teams to the Olympics. With the U.S. engaged in a bitter cold war struggle against the USSR, an American-Soviet Union match-up was viewed as exciting and politically important.

The U.S. Olympic Committee had also modified its format for the selection of the U.S. team. Invited to the trials were the NCAA winner and runner-up, the champions of the NAIB (predecessor of the NAIA), the top four AAU teams and the winner of the National Invitational Tournament. In the end, the 14-member USA team was made up by seven University of Kansas team members, five members of the AAU Peoria Caterpillars and two Phillips 66ers.

Opening versus Hungary, the Americans behind Dan Pippin's 13 points, secured a 66-48 victory. Czechoslovakia fell the following day 72-47 as Robert Kurland led the U.S. with 14 points. The U.S. struggled before disposing of Uruguay 57-44 as Kurland scored 21 points. With both teams undefeated, for the first time in Olympic history the Americans met the Soviets in their first quarterfinal game. In the highly aggressive and physical battle that saw six Americans and four Soviet players foul out, the U.S. crushed the Soviets 86-58 as Kurland scored 15 and Robert Kenny and Clyde Lovellette added 14 points each.

With Lovellette erupting for 25 points, Chile was overrun by the U.S., 103-55. Brazil gave the U.S. men a scare. Trailing 26-24 at half, the U.S. rallied to claim a 57-53 win, then, thanks to a 27-point performance by Lovellette, the U.S. managed to slip past Argentina 85-76 and earn a trip to the Olympic finals.

Meeting the Soviets in the finals, who still had only loss to the U.S., this time it was a winner-take-all gold medal game. The USSR, learning from its earlier loss, stuck to a strategy of tight defense and a full court stall. After 10 minutes the U.S. led 4-3. Just prior to halftime the U.S. managed a basket and grabbed a 17-15 halftime lead. The Soviets stayed with their tight defense and actually regained the lead early in the second half. But the U.S. foiled the Soviet Union's upset attempt by shooting well from the outside. After pulling ahead by nine, the U.S. began its own stall causing one distraught Soviet player to stage a temporary sit-down strike at midcourt. The Americans eventually went on to win, 36-25. Lovellette led the USA offense with nine points, while Kurland added eight points.

1952 U.S. MEN'S OLYMPIC TEAM ROSTER

1952 U.S. MEN'S OLYMPIC TEAM CUMULATIVE STATISTICS