BASKETBALL; Politics Take Center Court as Yugoslavs Win Title

Midway through the European basketball championships, Vlade Divac had said, "Sports and politics should not go together."

Divac was hardly the only player to make such a comment during the last, relatively tranquil week of competition, but on the night the championships came to an end with a 96-90 Yugoslav victory over the Lithuanians, there was simply no escaping politics.

First the Lithuanians threatened to walk off the court for good with two minutes to play because of suspicions about the refereeing, then the third-place Croats did walk off the medal stand and out of the arena just before their former countrymen, the Yugoslavs, were about to receive their gold medals.

As the flags rose and a small marching band attempted to play the Yugoslav national anthem, the rambunctious Greek crowd booed the winners, as they had booed them for much of the game. The boos drowned out the anthem, just as politics ended up drowning out the basketball.

"I'm disappointed about everything," said Divac, the Yugoslav center and Los Angeles Laker.

The victory was the sixth for a team called Yugoslavia in the European championships, but this team is, of course, radically different than its predecessors. The first five titles were won by players from a unified nation. This title was won by players only from Serbia and Montenegro, and it came in their first major tournament since returning from a three-year ban from international competition.

"I'm very proud, in fact I'm more proud this time," said Yugoslavia Coach Dusan Ivkovic, who coached the unified Yugoslav team to European titles in 1989 and 1991 before the nation was broken apart by separatism and war.

Under different circumstances, post-game discussion would have centered on the overall quality of tonight's final (both teams shot better than 60 percent from 2-point range) and on several remarkable performances.

The most remarkable was that of the Yugoslav point guard Aleksandr Djordjevic, who finished with a tournament-high 41 points and shot 9 for 12 from 3-point range. The Yugoslavs also got 23 points from their shooting guard, Predrag Danilovic, a future member of the Miami Heat.

The Lithuanians were led again by guard Sarunas Marciulionis, who scored 32 points on 11-of-14 shooting and was later named the most valuable player of the championships. Center Arvidas Sabonis added 20 points and 8 rebounds, although he would foul out with five minutes remaining.

And it was in those last five minutes that the trouble began. Already unhappy with the officiating, particularly with the American referee George Toliver, the Lithuanian players became enraged after Toliver called an offensive foul on forward Saulius Stombergas with two minutes remaining and the Yugoslavs leading, 87-83.

According to people near the bench, Sabonis then made a lewd gesture in the direction of Toliver and the Lithuanians were hit with a second technical foul. That was enough to bring the entire team back to the bench. Their initial intention was to walk out of the arena and not return. Sabonis even indicated that he would be willing to pay any fine incurred out of his own pocket. But the Lithuanians, including a still-livid Marciulionis, eventually returned. The three free throws gave the Yugoslavs a 7-point lead.

"We weren't brave enough," said Coach Vladas Garastas. "We should not have come back on."

But Garastas and Marciulionis were certainly bold in the post-match news conference, insinuating that Borislav Stankovic, a Yugoslav who is secretary-general of basketball's world governing body FIBA, had influenced the tournament schedule and officiating in favor of his fellow citizens.

"We aren't puppets, we are basketball players," Marciulionis said. "It's a shame we couldn't change our own destiny out there."

"Basketball in Europe hit the bottom tonight," he added. "This wasn't basketball anymore. The problems are much, much deeper."

Despite Marciulionis's comments, the evidence did not point to blatant bias. The officials called 31 fouls against Lithuania and 27 against the Yugoslavs, whose star center Divac was the first important player to foul out, with 12:24 remaining. "We also played against the referees," Ivkovic said.

The Greek fans, certainly not pleased that the Yugoslavs had eliminated their team in the semifinals, clearly sided with the underdogs. Throughout the second half, they rained disdain on FIBA, and when the game ended they changed their chant to "Lithuania is the champion."

The Yugoslavs, six of whom were on the 1991 European championship team, were left to celebrate in a largely hostile environment, and not all of them behaved magnanimously. Danilovic ran behind one of the baskets, faced a group of jeering supporters and grabbed his crotch.

"I think it was not a good thing he did," Ivkovic said later.

Shortly thereafter, with their bronze medals still around their necks, the Croats stepped down from the podium and left the arena. The blatantly political gesture was in stark contrast to the tenor of the Croats' largely apolitical comments throughout the tournament.

"It was pretty sad," said Florian Wanninger, a FIBA spokesman. "We had some hints that there might be some problems, and we will react because what they did is against regulations. I can't tell you how, but we will react."

None of the Croats stayed around afterward to discuss it, but the Yugoslavs certainly made their feelings known.

"It was stupid," Danilovic said. "My team would never have done that."