In the 1980s and 1990s, the issue of leadership and sovereignty was no longer decided by the powers of the East. At that moment in time, stars came from allover Europe: Arvydas Sabonis came from the USSR, Drazen Petrovic from Yugoslavia, Nikos GaIisplayed for Greece, Detlef Schrempf led Germany, Fernando Martin starred in Spain, and Dino Meneghin – in Italy. In mid-1980s Martin, Schrempf, Rik Smits (the Netherlands), Georgi Gloushkov (Bulgaria), and Uwe Blab (Germany) crossed the gates of the NBA, followed a few years later by a tide of talented players from the USSR and Yugoslavia.
In 1983, the Italians won the Eurobasket title for the first time, beating Spain in the final game. he top scorer then was a New York-born Greek, Nikos Galis. Four years later, he thrilled the world of basketball with 40 points scored when Greece, hosting Eu)Basket, beat the USSR in the final game with overtime. Sided by the play maker Anagiotis Giannakis and the center Panagiotis Fassoulas, he had legendary clashes with Soviet stars the likes of Sabonisi Vladimir Tkachenko, Sarunas Marciulionis, nd Valdis Valters.
In 1985, the three-point line debuted in the EuroBasket (introduced in 1984, three ears after the NBA), which found immediate reflection in the number of points cored. The USSR team provides a good illustration for the change. The 1985 champions scored 107 p and their 21 year-old center Arvydas Sabonis, then in is prime days (before the plague of knee injuries), was particularly skilful at in wailing himself of the scoring opportunities regulation gave.
In 1989 and two years later, the team of Yugoslavia, bringing together players from Serbia, Groatia, Slovenia and Bosnia for the last time, was unmatched. Drazen etrovic wasthe most outstanding player of both tournaments with stars such as Toni Kukoc, VladeDivac or Dino Radja following suit.
The biggest surprise of the 1990swas the victory of Germany, hosting the 1993 EuroBasket Tile Serbian coach Svetislav Pesic did a splendid job preparing the erman national team, even though he had to do without its greatest star, Detlef Schrempf. The outcome of the final clash against Russia was decided in the last ction of the game, when Christian Welp, later voted MVP of the tournament.
In 1995 in Athens, Yugoslavia regained the title after a breathtaking final battle Jught by the greatest stars of the time. The playmaker AleksBndar Djordjevic hit in three-pointers, scoring 41 points in total, and leading his team to a 96:90 victory over Lithuania. The outstanding individual performance of Marciulionis, who ad 32 points, 6 assists and 6 rebounds,.did not save the Balticteam;
The Yugoslavian team triumphed again two years later in Barcelona. However, in 1999 in Paris they were surprisingly overcome in the semi-finals by the Italians. In 1e final match, the team from the Apennine Peninsula, headed by a Yugoslavian Bogdan Tanjevic, beat Spain (six silver medals and still awaiting gold). The lading players of the champions included Gregor Fucka of Slovenian origin, the Dndon-born CarltonMyers, and Andrea Meneghin, son of the 1983 champion.