THIRTEENTH WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP -- 1998

Athens, Greece - July 29 - August 9, l998

Exciting. Inspiring. Suspenseful. Resilient. Persevering. The 1998 USA Men's World Championship Team, under the direction of Rudy Tomjanovich, proved to be all of those things en route to a 7-2 record and the capturing of the bronze medal at the 13th FIBA Men's World Championship.

1998 USA Men's World Championship Team 1998 USA RESULTS (7-2) USA 83 Brazil 59 Lithuania 84 USA 82 USA 88 South Korea 62 USA 87 Argentina 74 USA 75 Spain 73 USA 96 Australia 78 USA 80 Italy 77 Russia 66 USA 64 USA 84 Greece 61 1998 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL STANDINGS 1. Yugoslavia (9-0) 9. Australia (5-3) 2. Russia (7-2) 10. Brazil (2-6) 3. USA (7-2) 11. Puerto Rico (3-5) 4. Greece (5-4) 12. Canada (1-7) 5. Spain (7-2) 13. Nigeria (2-3) 6. Italy (5-4) 14. Japan (1-4) 7. Lithuania (5-4) 15. Senegal (1-4) 8. Argentina (3-6) 16. S. Korea (0-5)

It was a remarkable story from start to finish. With NBA labor problems preventing the use of NBA players as was done in 1994, USA Basketball began assembling a new team just three weeks out from the opening of training, looking to players who had played professionally overseas, in the CBA, or in college.

The U.S. team opened the competition by defeating Brazil 83-59 as Wendell Alexis recorded 13 points and eight rebounds and Michael Hawkins tallied 12 points and passed for a USA World Championship single game record 10 assists.

One day later, Jimmy Oliver's would-be game winning three at the buzzer rolled in then out as Lithuania held on to collect an 84-82 victory. Oliver finished with a team high 18 points.

Jason Sasser scored 11 of the USA's first 13 points of the second half to help the USA break away from South Korea and capture an 88-62 victory in its final preliminary round game.

Advancing to second round play, the USA trio of Alexis, Oliver and Hawkins combined to score 53 points and shot 10-of-14 from three-point as the U.S. fought off Argentina 87-74.

Oliver scored a team high 17 points including the go ahead three-pointer with 1:19 remaining to give the USA its first lead of the game as the U.S. rallied to earn a hard fought 75-73 victory over Spain.

Facing Australia in a game the USA needed to win to earn the Group F number one seed and Australia needed just to advance to the medal round quarterfinals, the USA clicked on all cylinders and routed the Aussies 96-78.

Thanks to inspired clutch play from guards Kiwane Garris and Hawkins, the U.S. persevered and managed to record an 80-77 victory over Italy in quarterfinals play. The USA was led by Hawkins' 16 points and six assists, while Alexis added 14 points and Garris finished with 11.

The USA's quest for gold came to a halt after Russia overcame a 10-point USA lead in the final three minutes and forward Serguei Panov went coast-to-coast to score a layup with 4 seconds left to give his team an improbable 66-64 win. Gerard King was the USA's only scorer in double figures with 10 points while adding six rebounds.

Meeting host Greece in the bronze medal contest on August 9, behind Sasser's game high 23 points and a defense that never let Greece find its rhythm, the United States jumped the Greeks early and stormed to an 84-61 victory to capture a bronze medal.

In the gold medal contest, Yugoslavia held off Russia 64-62 to capture the gold medal.

1998 USA Men's World Championship Roster