Political stuff. In 1959 the World Cup was held in Chile, where at the end, and after two phases we reached the last game with the Soviet Union virtually winning the World Cup, but their leaders had the order from Moscow not to play against the nationalist China team, ‘enemy’ of communist China, and by default was given up the game (2-0), and this was used by Brazil to be world champion
In 1959, the EuroBasket was held in Turkey, where the Soviet Union once again won the gold medal. There was still no final as such, although the Soviets could not be completely relaxed until the final day, when they beat France (88-72), with giant Janis Krouminch as the most outstanding
In the 1959 NBA, the Boston Celtics beat the Minneapolis Lakers in the final, sweeping aside their opponents 4-0. A first ring of many for the Greens, as this would be the first of up to eight in a row, and ten over the next eleven seasons
The competition starts with 21 teams, which will have to pass two previous rounds in a roundtrip format, after which there will be 8 survivors who will play the quarterfinals. ASK Riga was exempted from playing these rounds
In the 1958 NBA, the championship went to the St. Louis Hawks, defeating the Boston Celtics in the final by a solvent (4-2). Bob Pettit and Cliff Hagan made the difference throughout the series
Among the important agreements of the First Conference of European and Mediterranean Coastal Nations, held in 1957 in Munich, the one referring to the organization of a European Champion Clubs’ Cup, originally proposed by the sports newspaper L’Equipe de Paris, stood out. The project, presented jointly by FIBA and the Czechoslovak Basketball Federation at the European Championship in Sofia, was approved at the Second Conference of European and Mediterranean Nations, held in Gauting (Germany) in December 1957
In 1957, the EuroBasket was held in Bulgaria, where the Soviet Union won gold, the first of up to eight consecutive wins, a tyranny that reigned in Europe for more than three lustrums
The 1957 NBA went to the Boston Celtics after winning the final series against the St. Louis Hawks (4-3). Such was the level of equality that the victories alternated until in game seven everything was decided in the last possession of the seventh game, with (123-125) for the Greens
In 1956, the Olympic Games were held in Australia, where the United States won its fourth consecutive gold medal since the creation of the Games. In the grand final they beat the Soviet Union by (89-75), with Russell and KC Jones, who would later win many rings together with the Celtics, leading throughout the competition
In the 1956 NBA, the title went to the Philadelphia Warriors, who had no major problems in the final, ending up with a 4-1 record, to beat the Fort Wayne Pistons. Arizin was the man of the final, beating a great individual duel with Yardley, the best of the Pistons
In 1957, the EuroBasket was held in Hungary, where the locals, to the amazement of the whole world, took the Gold. The silver went to Czechoslovakia, the bronze to the favorite to be at the top, the Soviet Union
