It's not a game. It's far beyond that

Basketball means much more than just a game or sport for Lithuanians. It is an inseparable part of our culture, the national pride and treasure. Lithuanians were amongst the first ones who popularized this game in Europe. Twice, they were crowned as European champions before the World War II started. After incorporating into the Soviet Union, Lithuania was always considered as a striking power for that national team. It is interesting to mention that we never cheered when the national team of USSR played. We just followed ours fellow’s performances. Once (in fifties), there were a half of them on the team. Two Lithuanian teams had played in the USSR championship (the elite league). Worth to remember, there were 15“brotherly“republics and dozens of various national semi autonomic districts in Soviet Union.

During the period 1953-1981, we were strong mediocrities periodically challenging the best teams for the medal divisions.

All that time, the CSKA super club dominated the Soviet basketball championship. The best national talents were recruited to this club to represent Soviet basketball properly at the European sport stage. As a consequence of that – they lost intrigue about the gold. Only the silver and bronze medals mattered. The time Žalgiris (the main and glorious LTU team) played CSKA (in reality the Soviet national team minus Lithuanians and Georgians), a majority of the tiny three million people of the republic were glued to the radios, later – TV’s. It was David vs Goliath battle. Rarely but occasionally (it’s a sport!) we beat the empire. Euphoria overwhelmed everyone.

One cold morning of 1964 winter a man, who will later contribute significantly to his small country history, was born. To this unique, "chosen one", " the man with non-human abilities", - all those epithets’ will match him later. But, that needs time and patience – now he is able just to pee in his pants. Kid has turned 15. At that time ,only a narrow circle of basketball experts were aware of what kind of good delayed-action bomb he could become. He‘s 16 and playing for the U-18 Soviet team. He insists upon foreign specialists to write and spell his name properly. This name – Arvydas Sabonis. That year, Žalgiris interblends into the medal battle amongst Moscow super clubs. Maybe, it is time to throw this youngster into that cruelty. Decided - too early! He will be smashed by the Moscow monsters.He‘s 17. „Sabas“makes his pounding debut with the Soviet national (men’s) team in Colombia. The world is amazed. Is it time (what the heck!) to play for the Žalgiris? It is! Let‘s just pray that Moscow will not expropriate him as they always do in such cases...

From this moment on the Žalgiris and CSKA unforgettable duels started. The epoch reshaped even very apolitical people into fans with the slogan (in their mind at that time) “beat Moscow” (that later will eventually develop into “beat the Soviets”). Specialists unanimously say that this was the most interesting sport combat between two different “schools” in the history of Soviet sport. This epoch was called the Gold Fever. In 1983, Žalgiris smashed everything in its way like a hurricane. Immortal Red Army prostrated in Kaunas, as well as in Moscow. Even theoretically, Žalgiris is unstoppable for the gold. It is high time the fit for gold medals! Stop! The message from Moscow: “At the end of the regular season, two best teams will meet in the super finals until two victories.” We are puzzled, angry. We are robbed by Moscow (again)! CSKA is frenetically strengthen (by expropriation) with any available resources from other clubs…

The Super Finals, which lasted till the collapse of the Soviet Union, start. We win in Moscow. Lithuania is thunder stricken by euphoria. We will win for sure at least once at a home game. The drama is unreal! The first game we lose… The second… as well… The nation boils…

During summertime, the order from Moscow comes to the Republic’s party nomenclature (because that goes beyond sport official’s commission) – we have to surrender Sabonis (nation’s treasure!) to Moscow. Very difficult to understand how (unnaturally for those days), but Moscow is persuaded by Vilnius (LTU capital) Communist bureaucrats that Sabonis must stay at home. Sabas will hand Soviet national team obligations with usury. Otherwise, unrest might take place. Moscow retracts.

Next year is the USSR championship - the easy promenade for Žalgiris, where he can mainly focus on the European Cup and save his power for the old buddy – CSKA in the spring. Few fords about that atmosphere. As was mentioned above, before Sabonis’ epoch majority of Lithuania had been following basketball battles very seriously. However, during the Gold Fever, factories had stopped working, crimes intermitted, childbirths (as well as deaths briefly) paused; streets and squares of the cities emptied, cars and passerby’s disappeared… In a case of sudden friendly alien’s delegation from another planet appearance with intentions to affiliate, they would have been forced to turn back empty-handed. People were missing. Only for few it was a sport, – for the majority it was a liberation fight or the road to regain independence. When we played in Moscow, there were hundreds if not thousands cars with the Lithuanian registration plates. It was a golden time for the ticket dealers in the black market. Prices sky-rocketed to the unthinkable heights. A stadium with the capacity of 15,000 seats was filled by Lithuanians in two thirds. For those, less fortunate ones, only hotels halls and vestibules were available to support their heroes, and watching TV (sport bars weren’t designed yet those days). More and more often, it was possible to hear patriotic songs that glorified the independence period (that almost have faded out of the memory during long occupation years), and even anti-Soviet chants during the basketball games. Moscow militia had no clue what was going on during that time. To get tickets to the Kaunas Hall, the old arena who remembers triumphant Lithuanians battles in Euro 1939, was “mission impossible”.

We are (at last!) the champions! The next year again! Once again in the following year… The nation was effervescent. We beat the beast. That might lead as a consequence for the other, greater and even unthinkable steps few years later. After the Pearl Harbor, Japan was hysterical by its belief in invincibility. It was even termed “victorious drunk”. Very similar was the situation in Lithuania after the basketball victories.

The Gold Fever started during turbulent Soviet time, in its process, M. Gorbachev launched “Glasnost” and “Perestroika”, and now the (Lithuanian) nation was flaming hot for politicians’ turn.