THREE SECONDS
THE FILM IS BASED ON REAL EVENTS
Straighten your elbow and hold your arm out, Here,
Dad, I'm tired, What are we waiting here for?
Our lucky chance,
One more time,
You mean, you want Garanzhin to replace Gomelsky?
He coached BC Spartak Leningrad to where they are now,
-Still, this is insane… -What do you suggest?
Comrades, Gomelsky is not a close friend of mine,
but the man took Soviet basketball to an international level,
and we can't replace him just because…
Gennadii, you know full well that
the decision to replace Gomelsky came right from the top,
None of us can change that, Is that not clear?
-Let's talk about Garanzhin, -But why Garanzhin?
Comrade Moiseyev, admit it,
Being the chairman of the Basketball Federation,
you're promoting your friend,
Of course!
He was your teammate back in Leningrad, It's clear as day!
Are you saying that friendship is something to be ashamed of?
I'm proud to call him my friend,
That's all well and good, but what makes him a good fit?
Gomelsky is every coach's idol, Everyone follows his system,
Everyone wants to play and win like CSKA, Everyone,
Garanzhin is different,
Watch out!
-Go do some free throws, -Dad, the hoop's too far,
Just give it a try, You can do it even from here,
Here, show me,
Where are you going? You said from here,
He won't make it,
-Score! -Wow, Dad…
Vladimir!
Quick!
-Just be reasonable with them, -Ksenia…
It's a foreign assignment, it's money for Shuka's surgery,
and we have only a year to do the surgery…
Got it, No breaking chairs, no slandering Brezhnev,
You know what?
-I'm off, -Good luck,
Fix your collar,
So, you come in, say "thanks," bow down, and leave, Got it?
-Yes, Grigory, I'm not stupid, -This way,
Vladimir, the Soviet national team needs a new head coach,
We think it needs you,
What do you say?
Thank you for the honor, But I can only take on that role if…
…if my suggestions are accepted,
-Such as? -New methods,
-What kind? -American, to begin with,
American methods? What's wrong with Soviet methods?
Gomelsky developed excellent methods and techniques,
The players need to travel abroad to play other teams more often,
And deal with even more stress?
The boys are overworked as it is, They never see their families!
Gennadii, please sit down,
I'm sorry,
That's part of their job,
How will those expenses be covered?
I'm not an accountant, Also, I would replace some of the players,
Gomelsky didn't put the team together for you to play chess with it,
Then you should get Gomelsky back,
Hey, wake up! Big boys are training here,
Paulauskas!
Five laps, zigzag,
Don't forget the ball,
Done, We have the Sports Committee and the accounting department's approval,
-Alex… -I'm okay,
I've gone gray over the last week, all because of you,
I can tell,
Here's the proposed lineup,
-What's this? -My team,
Belov, Paulauskas…
Belov, Paulauskas, sure, But who are these other guys?
Soviet national basketball team, assemble!
Let's go and meet the team,
Come on, let's go,
My dear team!
I thank you for your hard work and your victories,
For all the years of commitment, and for your patience with me,
You've been a part of my life, and I will always cherish that,
From today, you have a new coach, Vladimir Garanzhin,
Please welcome and respect him,
May you always come home victorious,
So the rumors were true…
-Good day, -Not for everyone,
Unfortunately, yes,
I made a list of players for the new team,
I apologize in advance to those who are not on it,
The team captain can read it out,
No hard feelings, please,
I'll see the rest of you tomorrow,
Aleksander Belov, Sergey Belov, Modest Paulauskas…
It's Modestas, not Modest! Stole two letters from my name!
Save yourself some trouble, send him back to Lithuania now,
I would, but he's a good pass rusher,
-Ivan Edeshko… -Nice,
-Zurab Sakandelidze… -Yes!
Mishiko Korkiya…
Here, you read, Sergey, let's go,
Alzhan Zharmukhamedov, Sergey Kovalenko, Gennadi Volnov…
Aleksander Boloshev, Ivan Dvorny, Anatoli Polivoda,
EUROBASKET 1971 ESSEN
Alex, pass!
He's been coaching for a week, and he lets only his favorites out,
Shoot!
When I play in Lithuania, there's not a soul in the streets,
Is he really going to replace me with this bumpkin?
When he plays in Belarus, it's a national holiday,
Belov, Paulauskas, you're up!
Nice one!
Mishiko, speed! He is supposed to be behind you, not the other way around!
What's the problem? We're winning,
Sergey, here!
Guys…
Well done, but this is not the kind of basketball I want to see,
Ivan, don't try to win all by yourself,
Guys, you don't see or hear one another on the court,
Sergey, you're doing long shots,
while Alzhan and Alex wait for a pass,
Now, the defense…
Don't worry, Vladimir,
I can sink a shot from anywhere,
If it isn't broken, don't fix it,
I'm tired of passing the ball all the time, I want to score,
Like that, look!
He goes for the kill, The defense tries to stop him…
He raises the ball… and soars,
-I want to do that! -You and everyone else,
Well done, Sergey, You saved the game,
-Sergey, how's your knee? -It's asking for an ice pack,
Guys, listen up,
Incredible job! Just Incredible!
You wiped the court with them!
And here's a little thank you from us,
Paulauskas…
-Alex… -Thanks,
Korkiya…
I'd earn more back home driving a taxi,
I can arrange that for you,
-Ivan… -Thanks,
-Sakandelidze… -Thanks,
-Grigory! -Yes?
Hurray for Vladimir and his first international victory!
-Hip-Hip! -Hurray!
Polivoda…
Why did you run off?
-Here, -Thanks,
-Congratulations, -Thanks,
Vladimir!
Thanks again for putting me on the team,
As if I could do without you,
-And congratulations! -It's too early for that,
It's never too early, Congratulations, Alex,
Thanks, you too,
The Austrians are ready to operate as soon as I have the money,
I'm saving every ruble I can, but that's half the battle,
I need to get him papers for legally exiting the country,
You'll need someone in the foreign ministry,
We'll think of something,
Thanks for all the help, buddy,
Come on, it's nothing, Ready to meet the press?
No,
But when has that ever stopped us?
Sergey, come on!
What's the difference between your coaching style and Gomelsky's?
I've only recently started working with the team,
Gomelsky got this "red machine" started, and it's running great,
The main difference between us is what we want to achieve,
The Munich Olympics is next year,
We must beat the Americans,
What Vladimir wanted to say is that
national basketball teams play at a very high level,
so the Soviet team will put serious effort into training for the Olympics,
What I wanted to say is that no empire is eternal,
That's not what he meant,
I'm curious as well,
The US team will have to lose a game eventually,
Best if they lose to us,
At least for the Americans, it would be no disgrace,
America…
That would be like Mozambique beating us at hockey,
The Americans have a hoop in every alley,
What do I do now, buddy?
I'm the one responsible for bringing in the crazy coach,
You'll be fine, You'll even get a bonus,
Whiskey,
It was a pleasure playing on the same team with you, Here…
The pleasure isn't mutual,
Wake up, Vladimir, You've ruined my career,
Sure, your idea sounds great,
but the Americans will stuff your basket full,
You're a crazy psycho!
I want to sing a Lithuanian song,
Sing, Mody,
They have a real chance now, They're in top shape,
Life in this sport is very short,
A few more years and their health will be ruined, Their time is now,
Can't you see that?
Bravo!
I'm not finished yet!
Look,
-Sorry, I misunderstood… -You people never understood us!
-People who? -You Russians always want it your way!
Shut your mouth!
You don't like the way we sing or the way we live, do you?
You think this ragtag bunch can beat the Americans?
Always meddling in our affairs! Imposing your rules!
Am I meddling in your affairs? Imposing anything?
Not you, You're a friend,
But I feel like a caged bird with you guys,
Hey, don't let it get to you, Let's go back in,
-I have a training session, -A training session?
What's wrong with you?
And you?
Strange people,
-Hello, -Hi,
-Down the stairs, please, -Thank you,
Here's your bag,
This way, please, Come this way,
Get your bags ready for inspection,
Don't you know who we are?
We're the champions of Europe and the pride of the Soviet Union!
-Be thorough, -I will,
Look, it's Sergey Belov,
Comrade Belov, I'm sorry, but I have to inspect your bag,
Rules are rules,
Let me see,
Where did you get this?
I bought it in Essen with my bonus money,
You're the team's Komsomol rep, What do you need a Bible for?
Does it say something bad about the Komsomol?
Let him through,
Comrades, move along, Move along now,
Can you sign this for my son?
Move along, please,
Hello,
One bag at a time, please,
My mother knits, my grandma knits…
Even I can knit,
So can I,
Planning to sell these?
Can't you see these are presents?
This is for Auntie Tamara, this is for Bakur…
Zurab, explain why a Georgian can't go home empty-handed!
If we do, we'll be grilled worse than here!
-Fine, but what is this? -A belt,
I love this country, So welcoming…
-It's going to be cold this winter, -Why two of them?
If one gets stolen, I'll have a spare,
This is a blood pressure monitor,
-You can go, -Thank you,
You can go,
So can you,
All done here,
You can go,
Vladimir, hold on a moment,
Congratulations,
Thank you,
Hockey players come back loaded with contraband, no problem,
-What was that about? -Maybe we have a snitch…
Comrade Komsomol rep, can you teach us all how to get through so easily?
If you have something to say, let's hear it,
Just a thought,
Only you and the coach weren't carrying anything,
-What, no snitches in Lithuania? -Not until you came along,
Yeah right,
Hey, hey, calm down…
Enough of that, the lot of you!
I hear anything like that again and you're out!
You can go paint ceilings,
you won't even need a ladder,
Will they keep you on?
Why did you say that about beating the Americans?
Everyone knows it's impossible, You could get fired,
That may be so, but I'll make it possible, soon,
How soon? We have a year to do the surgery!
After that, no one will do it, not even in Europe!
Mom, Dad…
Don't argue,
We're not arguing,
Sorry, son, no presents this time,
Here, catch,
I'm not even going to talk to you! Get out of my sight!
With your statement, you put our country's honor at stake!
Don't you have faith in our country's sporting prowess?
That's not what I said,
If I didn't believe in our country's sporting prowess, I wouldn't be here,
Why didn't you ask us?
I thought we were on the same team,
I also thought we were on the same team,
but then, an agency we all know well visited,
and they came with files for criminal cases,
Like the national team smuggling contraband,
under supervision of their coach,
I take full responsibility,
And for this, too? Will you take responsibility for Modestas?
You have a raging dissident in your team!
With relatives in Germany,
If he goes to the Olympics, what's to stop him from defecting?
You can send that damned Paulauskas packing as far as I'm concerned,
But only after the Olympics,
There's nobody to replace him,
Sure, beating the Americans at their own game sounds great,
Winners take all, but losers stand to lose everything,
Sit down,
You believe in our country's sporting prowess,
but you have no faith in our country's healthcare,
We have the best doctors in the world, but you want your son treated abroad,
No, we understand, of course, But don't you worry
you can just take your son out of the country on the next plane,
There will be all sorts of obstacles, You'll need serious help,
Permission to leave the country, permission to get treatment,
Not to mention that you'll need to buy foreign currency,
Sergey, you're absolutely right, Vladimir will need help,
I'll manage,
No, you'll need someone to guide you,
Someone who knows the ropes and can show you what to do, and when,
Someone like me,
Well?
Well, they all wished us best of luck and shook my hand,
So what are our orders?
Your orders are to turn up for training at 9:00 a,m, tomorrow morning,
No more of Gomelsky's methods, Only mine from now on,
Did they make you a general?
You have your orders,
-Bye, -Bye,
They'll have your head for a ball now,
And mine too,
Thanks a lot, buddy,
-Polyakova? -Here,
-Surkova? -Here,
-Canaris? -Here,
-Smirnova? -Here,
-Nikolayeva? -Here,
Sveshnikova?
I'm here!
-Vlasova? -Here,
The first training session is tomorrow at 6:00 a,m,
Until then, you are to stay in your dorm rooms, Questions?
What about leisure time?
Not a question, Books, chess, sleep, That's it, Now follow me,
-That's tough, -You can say that again,
I'll take your bag,
Sasha, will you marry me?
What, right here?
Where's your medal?
In my bag,
Can I see it?
Here,
-Looks good on me? -It does, Take it,
They won't let me get married for at least five more years,
The perks of being on the national team,
We won't tell anyone,
I don't have a dress,
I'll bring you one from abroad,
-Alex, what's wrong? -It's nothing… I'm fine…
Don't tell anyone, or I'll get kicked out of the team,
Flight is natural to a basketball player,
Move freely! Freely!
Balance your body!
Total control!
Now, freeze in mid-air!
We'll work on that,
Keep up the pace!
On the court, you won't have time to think,
You'll have to act, and act fast!
Even faster!
Move, move!
-Ivan, how often do you score? -Rarely,
-And others, when you pass to them? -Almost every time,
-Get it? -No,
You will eventually,
Sergey, training's over for today,
You've got a long flight tomorrow, It's 20 hours to Brazil,
-And a game right after we arrive, -I'll sleep on the plane,
-The team is resting right now, -That's what worries me,
Don't you want those guys to beat the Americans?
What about you?
My first coach used to say,
"If you have doubts, give the ball to Sergey,
He'll know what to do with it,"
Still holds good,
I score 30 points in a single game,
Who else can do that?
No one,
You're right,
Sergey, there can never be a team where everyone is just like you,
Yeah, Tough luck,
VI INTERCONTINENTAL CUP SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL
-On the bench! Now! -Stop fighting!
Excuse me, but that's an obvious violation of the rules!
He started it!
Who's he?
That's Comrade William Jones, General Secretary of FIBA,
Grigory, I can't see,
Referee! Player down!
Who's going to score now?
Give Belov a shot of something, I don't know, anything!
Play for time! Play for time!
Korkiya, Edeshko, Volnov, you're up,
Alzhan, you're in, Alex!
See that? He subs every 15 seconds, Is he a coach or a juggler?
All I see is they're doing just fine without us,
Nice one, Ivan!
Finally!
Alzhan, pass here!
Alzhan, get over here!
How bad is your eyesight? Huh?
-Minus four, -Why didn't you tell me?
I wanted to be on the team,
I don't need blind players on the team, Get on the bench!
Alex, sub Volnov, Move it!
Another sub? You don't even let them focus! Who plays like that?
The Americans do,
Ivan and Mishiko!
Work it!
Faster!
Pass round!
Keep going!
We won!
We did it! We whipped them!
Meet me at 10:00 a,m, on the 31st outside the registry office,
-But I arrive at 6:00 a,m, -You'll make it!
Wait! I have something for you, Here's your dress,
You're crazy!
Sveshnikova, are you getting hitched?
-What am I, stupid? -Into the bus, now!
Ciao!
-Which one is it? -What?
-Which… "utilities office?" -Griboyedovsky,
Dad, we need a new shelf!
A couple more months, and we'll have Shuka out of his chair,
Too many trophies!
-Are you aware of the costs involved? -Gennadii…
We need to play American teams, Students, amateurs, I don't care,
Why would you have the best Soviet players
play a bunch of students?
Today's students are tomorrow's professional players,
Our boys must lose their fear, and believe in beating the US team,
You don't have to believe in it, but they do,
Don't you go abroad often enough?
Vladimir, do you even speak English?
Hello,
Listen up, We're under scrutiny here,
Tomorrow's the first game, You have to be in top shape,
Don't go anywhere, stay in your hotel rooms and rest,
-Grigory… -Vladimir, can we at least go for a walk?
Just around the block, to see what America is like,
-Around the block is fine, -Thank you,
-Get the caviar, -Oh, right…
You're too soft on them,
The Americans keep their team on an army base before the Olympics,
I'd rather base things on trust,
We also need to find a place where we can sell the caviar,
-Like a dive bar, -Let's check the back alley,
So this is what America looks like,
Oh, look,
Nice,
Shall we?
-What? -He says you're an Indian,
-I'll pass, -I have money,
-Come on guys, let's do it, -In those stupid boots?
Why not?
Let's go back to the hotel and rest before the game,
-Alzhan, you're no fun, -They're playing half-court, Let's go,
-Let's play a bit, -No,
Caviar?
Who plays like that?
Mishiko, you okay?
Hello?
Vladimir, we have an emergency,
They're on Seventh Avenue,
Oh, yeah!
Darlings, if only you knew how we got our asses whooped today,
Let's drink to the memory of Soviet basketball!
Hurray!
-What happened? -We had a game with some locals,
They weren't even students, Just some guys in the street,
And?
We lost by 20,
Numbskulls,
Help me get them outside and put them into taxis, Quietly,
Gangway!
All right, guys, Don't be discouraged,
Things happen,
I have a feeling that it was a planned provocation,
and that those guys were professional athletes,
It was a set-up in order to demoralize you,
No, Grigory…
Alex, don't underestimate the trickery of the Americans,
Our coach set us up,
He could've asked if we were up for the challenge,
We'll get whooped today,
And when we get back home, we'll be the laughing stock!
They're going to play offence and pressure you,
Your strategy: less dribbling, no cross court passes,
Block me!
Alex!
-Vladimir, we're screwed, -We're doing fine,
Alex, it's yours!
Over here!
Mishiko, defense!
Vladimir, any suggestions?
You're doing great,
To me!
Anybody hurt?
-Modestas, you okay? -I'm fine, Seva,
Alzhan, let me see…
Vladimir, what was that all about?
Where was our coach in this game?
Alex!
Seva, hurry!
Understood,
We can't pay for this,
We don't have the budget for this,
We have a medic on staff, This will be "inappropriate expenses,"
We'll get back and take him to the Medical Center in Tuapse…
-He won't make it back, -The doctor didn't say that,
Pay for this out of the budget,
I'll reimburse out of my pocket in Moscow,
Out of your own pocket?
But that's a huge sum, Your son needs surgery…
That's what we'll do now, The rest is less urgent,
I'll think of something,
Keep your mouth shut about this,
Hello?
-Ksenia, hey, -Hey,
Alex is in hospital, it's bad,
I need you to take all the money we have
to the accounting department of the Sports Committee,
Don't worry about Shuka, I'll think of something,
I'm sorry I didn't tell you,
I wouldn't have told me either,
We're all maniacs, aren't we?
Basketball heads,
Listen…
You have a rare condition,
Your case is unique,
No one knows how to treat you,
No one knows how long you have left to live,
It could be a year…
before they find a cure,
Sorry for being so upfront with you,
I'm sure the team will do just fine without me,
Alex, I will hear none of this nonsense,
You're the national team's center, Here are your tasks:
rest, read books, and listen to good music,
I will be checking on you daily,
You'll tell me what you've read and sing what you've listened to,
-Are we clear? -Yes, we are,
You can begin now,
-Sergey, you okay? -Ivan, stay out of the corners!
Cover your opponents!
Bear with it,
We use aspirin,
Everything's all right, We almost won,
We lost a game, then Alex got sick, then we lost another game,
This is a bad year,
-Is Alex coming back soon? -He'll miss this tournament,
Vladimir, does he need any help?
I'll tell you what he needs,
Alex Belov isn't playing because he's in the hospital,
The only way you can help him is by winning,
Understood?
Over here!
Locker room, everyone,
Alzhan,
why didn't you pass the ball to anyone?
Vladimir…
I'll leave the team, but please don't mention my eyesight to anyone
so I can continue playing back in Tashkent,
These are contact lenses, You stick them right in your eyes,
It's the latest technology, We don't have them back home,
-Don't tell anyone, -Thank you, I serve the Soviet Union,
They're going to play 1-3-1 zone defense,
This is how we're going to play…
Mody!
Come on! Sergey!
Over here!
Pin them down hard!
You're playing for yourself and for Alex!
For yourself and for Alex!
-Alex! -Alex, look out the window!
-Alex! -Alex! Hey!
-Alex! -There he is!
We did it!
47:41
We won!
Alex, get well and come back! Help us stuff that basket full!
Help us beat Team USA! Come back!
Let's get out of here! The cops are after us!
Later!
Where do you come from, my fair knight?
From the plane,
Listen,
We're not getting married, And we won't see each other again,
-Alex… -Everything changed,
-What changed? -Everything, Bye,
What happened?
Have I done something wrong?
Do you have somebody else?
Yes, I have somebody else,
Someone I've always had,
We're together now, I'm sorry,
Alex?
Go, go, go!
Guys, not good enough,
Zurab, Mishiko, from you I need speed, speed and more speed,
Do it again, without the weights,
Vladimir, can we…
You heard me, Mishiko! Go!
Faster, faster, faster, go!
-Alex, why aren't you resting? -I'm not tired,
You're to rest half an hour after every five minutes, got that?
Wrap it up,
All right, All right,
All right,
Acceleration!
-Enough, -Vladimir, can we…
-Hit the showers, -I need to talk to you,
-How fast can you run 100 meters? -11,7, but…
-You can do better, -What?
I need you for a minute,
You can run faster than that,
I know what Paulauskas looks like, There he is,
You know where these came from,
He met with relatives in Essen,
They organized for him to meet with EuroLeague representatives,
Tell them you couldn't find me,
What do you mean, "couldn't find you"?
Where's Belov?
Why are you lying to me? You've got nobody else!
I have a year left to live,
Maybe two,
I got diagnosed in the States,
Sasha, just go,
You can't give up like that, Why did you leave me?
Are you listening to me?
It could be a year, or a month! You want to be a widow?
Do you not want to be anything anymore?
Do you think I'll live forever?
Nobody knows how long they have left,
If they said you have three minutes left, what would you do?
Or three seconds?
What would you do?
I would do everything,
A true communist,
Alex, you and I can do whatever we want,
Anything,
It doesn't matter how much time you have left,
While you're alive, you can do anything,
Vladimir, the results of your experiments are in!
-Paulauskas again? -No, Korkiya,
He's quitting the team, Here's his notice of resignation,
Zurab!
He went off to buy a ticket, He has a wedding to attend,
He's at the airport,
Thanks,
-Why didn't you tell me? -Vladimir, I tried so many times,
Can you not just go for a day?
A wedding in Georgia is not a one-day event,
My sister's getting married,
The Olympics are once every four years, but family is forever,
I'm sorry,
Is there a stadium there?
Why do you ask?
There's a wonderful Georgian saying:
"Fire is the test of gold, gold is the test of women,
and women are the test of men,"
Let's raise our glasses to the beautiful bride,
to her groom, to her wonderful brother,
and to this magical land!
Vladimir, this is our custom,
Vladimir…
And to our training tomorrow morning!
To the last drop!
Eat something, quick,
-Mishiko! -Yes, Uncle?
-Mishiko, are you going to Munich? -Of course I am, Why?
My friend will be there, he's the Israeli wrestling coach,
-All right, -Give this to him,
But, Uncle, Munich is a very large city, How will I find him?
-Are you not Georgian? -Of course I am!
Two Georgians will always find each other!
All right,
On the plane, I had a dream where he was running,
And he will run, The Sports Committee is working on it,
While we're in Munich, you go to the Committee,
Pick up his travel papers and anything else they give you,
Vladimir, this is just a dream:
sun, good wine, our husbands playing in the fields,
We'll see how well they play on the court,
What time does training start tomorrow?
I have no idea,
How about 10:00 a,m,?
Let's go,
Keep together!
Don't fall back! You're doing great! Mind your breathing!
Keep up the pace!
According to the rules of the International Olympic Committee:
The Olympic Commemoration,
OLYMPIC VILLAGE, MUNICH
Mr, Garanzhin!
What's your stance on the situation in Chile and President Aliende?
No comment,
-There you go, -Thank you,
Oh, no…
-Come on, Seva, smile for the camera, -I feel awkward, guys,
Comrade Paulauskas, Soviet Lithuania is rooting for you!
As the saying goes, "a blue car will be waiting at the entrance to Schlosspark,"
Hurray! Show them who's boss!
What did he say?
He said you walk funny,
And now we would like to
say hello to all flags
of all nations participating
most cordially in Munich,
Olympic Games, Day 10
Guys, I'm exhausted, I'm dying,
Enough of that,
We won the quarter final, we're already heroes,
Guys, you're the best, Lights out in an hour,
Can you spare a minute?
-Sergey! -Not now, Seva!
I need to go have a word with the Hungarians,
Seva should have a dose,
-Let's wait for him, -You'll be dead before he gets back,
What does it look like?
It's an ampoule wrapped in plastic,
Mody!
What's up?
What's the holdup?
Our medic has quite a bag of tricks,
This is really cool,
Put it back,
Cool, right? Let's listen to the girls…
That's not yours to play with,
Look for your snitch elsewhere, I have my own assignment,
I wasn't trying to gain your trust,
I could've dropped you all in it long ago,
I know who has contraband, who's bought currency,
And some of you are plain suspicious,
Bastard,
That hurts, coming from a friend,
Almost a friend,
Coach puts up with him,
Could've sent him packing, saved himself a lot of hassle,
But no, He's a saint,
A saint?
He needs to win, that's why he puts up with us,
That's not what I mean, You saw his son, right?
He was saving up for his surgery,
but when Alex fell ill in the States,
he spent all that money on hospital bills,
Think about it, Sergey, Why would he do that?
The Cubans are fast as hell, so don't try to outrun them,
Faster!
Vladimir!
Warm up,
-Attention please! -Get warming up,
One moment,
You need to play smart,
Play to win, but save your strength to beat the Americans,
Cuba is our seventeenth Soviet Republic,
Amigo,
-Hello, Ksenia? -Vladimir, sorry,
I went to the Committee, They're not letting Shuka travel,
You said they would!
They said something about contraband, about you,
that you're a liability, that you'll lose to the Americans,
and that we can apply again next year, But Shuka can't wait that long!
-And where will we get the money? -Ksenia…
-Hello? -Hello?
Comrades…
What's going on? We've always beaten the Cubans,
What's all this about?
Calm down, he's on it,
Guys, get it together!
Vladimir, we have a problem,
Eight points down, Vladimir! Are you happy with that?
Vladimir, you okay?
To Mody or to me?
Modestas, what's the score?
67:61,
Who won?
We did,
What's wrong with you?
Good game guys, well done,
Get some rest,
Vladimir, can Zurab and I go visit the Israelis, just for a minute?
Thanks,
Alex Belov! I need to check your blood pressure,
Modestas, you're under surveillance,
If you come back a champion, you'll be fine,
If not, they'll never let you out again,
I don't know what our chances are,
You guys are good,
but so are the Americans,
So if you were planning something, now is the time,
Thanks, but…
This game means so much to you,
You've put us through hell for it, and yourself too,
And now you're saying this, Why?
What's most important in your life?
My home, Lithuania,
Imagine there's no more Lithuania,
Does this game matter anymore?
I get it,
Goodbye,
Good luck,
So you'll be playing against us,
Don't give me the sob story about the motherland,
My motherland is Lithuania, not your bloody…
My motherland isn't "your bloody" either,
It's my mom, my dad, the village where I grew up,
basketball, the club, and my comrades,
Your comrades?
You never even speak to anyone, Some comrades you have,
They're the best,
It's me that's not so great,
Look, I understand, We've all had the same thought,
There's more money there, and… the ball bounces better,
And they'd fix my knees in less than a week…
But I won't abandon my friends,
Since when are they your friends?
For a long time now,
But I only realized now,
Only a Georgian would think to bring chacha from Kazbegi to Munich!
You know Uncle Iliko, What was I to do?
How will we recognize the guy?
How can we not recognize a Georgian? How do you recognize me, eh?
-You and I met ages ago, -So we just have to meet him,
Fine, Wait for me,
-Hello, Miss, -Hi,
We're looking for the Israeli team coach,
He's Georgian,
We have to give him this,
Vladimir!
Palestinian terrorists have attacked the Israelis right in their quarters,
They've taken hostages,
We meet in the hall, I've told everyone, I'm off to get Gennadii,
Korkiya…
Zurab!
Zurab! Mishiko!
Wait a minute!
Zurab!
-Is everyone here? -Except Korkiya and Sakandelidze,
Where's Paulauskas?
You let him get away,
Does he think the Soviet team is his private property?
The team is the face of the nation!
The team is still here, and it's strong as ever,
Why are you standing up for him again? He'll take us down with him!
Go back,
No contact with journalists until you get your asylum,
In fact, no contact with anyone, Trust nobody,
Don't you get it? This isn't sport, this is war! And we're the front line!
And what's your plan to survive the final? You don't have one!
No,
Maybe we should pull out?
Are you serious?
We can say it's a provocation, that we uphold the Olympic values,
and we refuse to play under these circumstances, right?
America won't win, and the USSR won't lose,
Grigory, you're a genius,
I'll go call Moscow, Grigory, you get ready for the…
-Press conference, -Yes,
And Vladimir, I assure you that your problems are just beginning,
That's a promise,
So that's it?
All this was for nothing?
Exactly the opposite, it wasn't for nothing!
The next Olympics are in four years,
You're still the coach, nobody will change that, You bring us gold medals,
We have four years to get Shuka on his feet, and…
and everything will be just fine,
The whole American thing will be dealt with,
and we'll get back to work, calm and collected,
This year with you has been like sitting on a powder keg!
You want to know the truth? I tipped off customs that time,
After Essen, when you said you'd beat the Americans,
I thought you'd lost it,
And you'd take me down with you, It was me who made you coach,
We'd lose to the Yanks, and then what?
I'd get kicked out of the party and the Federation,
You'd go back to your old Spartak, but where would I go? Where?
And you'd be, you know, better off, because… you know,
After all, we wanted to… you know?
Can you forgive me?
Sure,
You got scared, happens to everyone,
But for taking this game away from us…
-You'd have lost! -Yes, maybe we would have lost,
but this game was our life…
and you took our life and…
Snitching is one thing,
but you stole basketball from me and the boys,
And it's all we had,
That, Grigory, makes you a bastard,
-Wait, let me… -You tell the guys yourself,
The statement will be on behalf of the Basketball Federation,
We're leaving the Olympic Village in protest,
The terrorists have been given a bus, two helicopters to the airport,
and a plane to Cairo,
Let us through, please! We have to get inside!
We're athletes, this is our building!
Miss, tell them we're not Palestinians!
Guys! Guys!
Is that Korkiya's voice?
What's the fuss about? Did you think we'd be sitting inside?
We went out on the town, Had a good look around, Came back…
In the morning, we tried to get back and they wouldn't let us in!
-Here? -Yes,
We were worried sick!
Stop the car here,
That's the Olympic Village, You miss it already?
I'm not going,
What are you talking about? Everything's been arranged!
Thanks for everything, brother, but no,
Our dear Mody has a case of nerves, that's all,
Stop!
You didn't abandon me,
And I won't abandon my friends,
I'm sorry, I've come this far, but I can't go any further,
I have to go back,
Bye, guys,
Since when are they your friends?
For a long time now, But I only realized now,
We mourn…
Despite what happened, the Games will go on,
Every delegation has the right to withdraw from the Games,
All the hostages perished,
-Every delegation decides for itself… -Is everyone here?
It would be ethically wrong to play in this situation,
At today's press conference, we'll make an official statement,
You can start packing,
Is this what I came back for?
To become a nobody?
Guys, I think I've figured out everything,
Alex, it wasn't the Federation that paid for your heart treatment,
You all know Garanzhin's son is sick,
He's been saving up for his surgery,
All of it went on Alex's therapy,
Mody, they wanted you out,
Garanzhin stood up for you, He said you're his team,
-Alzhan, how many fingers? -Two,
Garanzhin's contact lenses, right?
-Mishiko… -I know, brother,
Nobody but our coach believed we could win,
-Not even us, -Not even us!
He dragged us here,
We don't have to play,
Nothing bad will happen,
Moiseyev wants us to pull out, That's what the Federation wants,
They want the team Garanzhin invested so much into not to lose,
But what does that make us?
We have to find Moiseyev,
So, I'll say a few words about the incident,
express our condolences,
and then I hand over to Moiseyev for an official statement,
-You sit and nod your head, Got it? -Got it,
Where's Moiseyev?
-You may start now, -Thank you,
This is undeniably an act of provocation against the Soviet Union,
Quiet down!
And the Soviet Union does not tolerate such insults,
Therefore…
-Hello, Sorry I'm late, -Where the hell were you?
Therefore, we have concluded
that the only correct course of action is…
To play,
The Games must go on,
Sport rises above all conflict, be it cold war or terrorism,
This is the Soviet national team's official statement,
And all our players are fine and well,
Thank you,
They're all with you, even Korkiya, Paulauskas, and Sakandelidze,
Are you insane?
I can go work for the army, The salary is enough to get by on,
Grigory, what's behind your decision?
Vladimir, you have a call from Moscow,
-Hello? -Dad, can you hear me?
Shuka?
Yes, I can hear you, son,
I'm sorry, son,
Sorry? Just make sure you win,
I'll try very hard,
What do you mean, "try"? I bet three rubles on you winning,
I'd have bet more, but that's all I had,
I hear you, kiddo,
We'll get your three rubles back,
Thank you, son,
Greetings, sports fans, we're with you from Munich
for the 1972 Olympic Men's Basketball Final,
No one has ever beaten the US team, but we're all rooting
for Vladimir Garanzhin's team anyway, Let's see who's on the starting lineup,
I thought I could finally relax at home, and now this,
Hank Iba, the US team's head coach,
They call him The Iron Duke of Defense, because that's how his team plays,
This is Iba's third time at the Olympics, The previous two, his team won gold,
He's ruining his life for the sake of one game,
Give me the lineup,
Look over there,
Are you happy now? Had your 15 minutes of fame?
What do they feed them?
The starting lineup…
They're going straight for the throat, Four black guys, one white,
Vladimir, pull yourself together,
First up are Zurab, Mishiko, both Belovs and Alzhan,
We're playing a fast game, Got it?
Get ready,
Alex, Alzhan, you're under the hoop, Zurab, Mishiko, run like the wind,
Break them down,
If you have doubts, give the ball to Sergey,
He'll know what to do with it,
-Let's do this, -Hurray!
-Cheer up, you're our secret weapon, -Sergey, get going,
Here we go,
I came all this way to sit on a bench,
-Modestas isn't on the court, -They'll jail him when he gets back,
Pass!
Now that looks more like basketball,
Zurab Sakandelidze gets a foul, The shot doesn't count,
What do you mean it doesn't count?
-Nice one, Zurab! -Sorry, Mishiko!
-Hell, we're just getting started! -Zurab, pass earlier on your first step!
Foul!
Alex Belov gets two free throws…
Go, go, go…
And he opens the score!
Korkiya intercepts and passes the ball to Sakandelidze…
Score!
That's more like it,
USSR! USSR!
Would you just look at that?
Pass, pass!
Tamara, bring more wine!
-Look at them go, -Run, guys, run!
Vladimir Garanzhin got his starting lineup just right,
Our Georgian players took the Americans by surprise,
Mishiko!
Keep on your mark!
Alzhan Zharmukhamedov, from SKA Tashkent, gets a foul,
Alzhan, keep it down!
The Americans have woken up and upped their pace,
Sakandelidze is virtually cut off,
The Georgian duo are under pressure,
Pass to Sergey!
Sergey, up the court!
Sergey, number five is yours!
Can't you see Alzhan on your left?
Galya!
-Yes, sir? -Bring us some stiff drinks!
Sergey Belov is ripping the US team to shreds!
Hey, what are you doing?
-What the hell? -He knows what he's doing,
Ivan, you're on after the next throw-in,
-Who am I subbing? -Sergey,
Who's going to score then?
On your right!
There's clearly some tension in the American team,
Sergey, well done! Get your breath back, on the bench,
Why?
Breathe, guys, breathe,
Boys…
You're ten points over the US team in the Olympic final,
This is history, remember this moment,
Don't take any risky shots,
Keep your defense tight because they're going to stampede,
-Alex? -I'm fine,
-Alex! -I'm fine!
That's brutal,
This is not basketball anymore,
It seems the Americans have no other way to stop our team from winning,
-You took a bad one, -I'm okay,
-Breathe slowly, Take it easy, -I'm fine,
He's fine,
Get back!
Why the hell did he put me on the bench?
Over here!
Sergey, sub Mishiko!
Both teams are substituting, Sergey Belov is in for Mishiko Korkiya,
On the American team, Mike Bantom is in for Jim Brewer,
Take your time, keep the ball, I'm on the right,
The ten-point lead is restored, Sergey Belov is master of the court!
Damn right,
Both Belovs, on the bench!
Start warming up,
Keep them busy! Hold them back!
Easy, guys, Relax, relax,
The Soviet team's lead is down to seven points,
Beautiful,
Five points,
Three points, Only three points with one minute to half-time,
Are we going to play or not?
If the Americans manage to reduce the gap further or draw equal,
they'll have the psychological advantage in the second half,
Both Belovs, you're up,
Keep stretching,
Aleksander Belov!
26:21 at half-time, the Soviet team is in the lead,
-Alex can't go on, -You tell him that,
Don't be scared of them, They're made of the same stuff as you are,
Here's the lineup…
Paulauskas,
Edeshko,
Sakandelidze,
-Alex, you get to rest a bit, -I'm fine,
Boloshev will cover for you,
Spread your wings, my little ostriches!
And fly!
The Americans are playing a hard and dirty game of basketball,
Pass to Sergey!
-They can't do without Modestas, -Maybe they won't jail him after all,
Bravo, Modestas!
Why did you make the spy sit out the whole first half?
What was that?
What's going on here? How can that be allowed?
Where are the referees looking?
Are we playing rugby here?
Alzhan, you okay?
This is outrageous!
When are the referees going to take notice?
Hold it there,
Nice one!
Boloshev, play it safe!
Showoffs!
-Grigory! -What can I do?
Curl your toes in, Do it! Now stretch them out,
Anesthetic, bandage and you're good to go,
Brother, why are we putting up with this?
Easy now,
Mishiko, you're up,
Nothing we can do, it wasn't a foul,
Mishiko, son, don't do it…
Mishiko, stand down,
If it wasn't the final, I'd knock your teeth into next week,
-Sorry, I couldn't help it, -I'd have done the same,
You took their best center out, nice one,
Looks like Alex got angry,
Alex!
Read the rules,
Yes! Sergey you're the man!
Grigory, you're about to see what American basketball is all about,
We just have to grin and bear it,
The American fans are serenading their team,
Zurab, in for Sergey Belov! Go!
The Americans aren't giving in,
Our lead is fading away, Substitutes left, right and center,
Alzhan!
Boloshev, sub Alzhan,
-What's the matter? -I lost a contact lens,
-Why didn't you say right away? -I didn't have time,
What are you playing at?
Time-out!
There are three minutes remaining,
Alex, you're on!
Alzhan, Mody, you're on! Boloshev, Belov, Volnov, on the bench,
-He can't keep substituting like that! -That's how he won the first half,
Never mind,
Don't panic, don't rush,
No stupid fouls, we can't afford them, Got that?
Let's go!
-What do I do with this? -Suck it,
Both teams are now under intense pressure,
Modestas Paulauskas!
Now they'll make him a party member,
Hank Iba is replacing Ed Ratleff with Doug Collins,
He's a serious threat for our team,
Don't let him through! Keep him back!
Mike Bantom gets a foul,
Sergey Belov!
Get ready! Stay focused!
Sergey Belov almost never misses from the free-throw line,
We need his marksmanship now more than ever!
Just do what you always do,
That's okay, that's okay!
Get it together,
That's it! Keep it up!
Fifty-one seconds of play left, There's time for two possessions,
The Soviet team is three points ahead,
The lead is down to one point, We have possession,
We need to keep hold of the ball as long as possible,
Hold it, hold it, hold it,
Time is on our side, with 15 seconds to the end of the game,
We have the ball again, with six seconds left!
-Over here! -Alex!
Alex Belov makes an unfortunate mistake three seconds from full-time,
Zurab Sakandelidze gets a foul,
I'm sorry, guys,
Is Collins able to play on?
Yes he is, That deserves respect,
Doug Collins is on the free-throw line,
His first throw hits its mark,
The American team draws even for the first time in the game,
Time-out, Grigory! Where's my time-out?
What are you doing?
We asked for a time-out! Look, there it is!
Why?
The United States team has won the match,
-I requested a time-out! -Get out of here!
Why didn't the Soviet national team get its time-out?
There was a request!
Time-out!
Guys, over here,
Guys, Ivan, sub Alzhan,
Alzhan, you rest,
Sergey…
Boys, three seconds is lots of time, Enough to win, lose and win again,
Mody, sprint down the left side,
Ivan, look at Sergey, pass to Mody, Mody, pass to Alex at the hoop, That's it,
Go! You can do it!
Three seconds…
to the end of the game,
Everyone makes mistakes, Garanzhin does, we do,
I demand that the clock be reset and the final three seconds replayed!
Why wasn't the clock showing three seconds?
The clock showed one second! The buzzer went right after the throw-in!
And right now, look! The clock is showing 50 seconds!
I want to finish the game according to the rules!
I suggested not playing, because of the attack,
So why did they play?
It was all Moiseyev and Garanzhin's idea!
Hello?
The argument continues at the scorers' table,
And you sounded the buzzer while the ball was in the air,
No, it's not over yet, It seems that the match isn't over,
Vladimir! You have three seconds!
Three seconds to the end of the game,
The clock was wrong, There are three seconds of play left,
It's too early for the Americans to…
Alex, Ivan, over here!
…celebrate victory, The game continues, Three more seconds of play,
The referees are asking the players to return to the court,
Alex, you go for the ball and fly under the hoop, Ivan, you watch Alex,
It doesn't matter how much time we have left, You got that, Alex?
-Got that? -Got it,
Go, let's do it,
I got it now, While we're alive, we can do anything,
Guys, it's been a pleasure being with you on the team,
Honest,
Only three seconds…
Ivan, watch the court,
…left in the game,
This is the best game of my life,
Thank you,
The clock has been reset, Everyone is out of their seats,
49:50, with the US team leading the score,
Ivan, watch the court,
Ivan Edeshko will throw the ball into play,
And the Soviet team scores! Victory!
We are the champions! We are the Olympic champions!
Gennadii, we won! We beat the Americans!
We're heroes!
Thank you, thank you! You're a hero! Hurray!
Hurray!
Vladimir, hurray!
I'm sorry, I was wrong about Garanzhin…
We'll fix everything tomorrow,
Get lost, all of you!
Boys!
Your bonuses,
I hope you won't be disappointed,
This time, it's more than what Lithuanian taxi drivers earn,
But we were playing for our country, not the money,
This is for Shuka's surgery,
Guys, why?
DEDICATED TO THE 1972 SOVIET OLYMPIC BASKETBALL TEAM
49:50, with the US team leading the score,
Ivan Edeshko will throw the ball into play, Three seconds,
Pass to Aleksander Belov…
And the Soviet team scores! Victory!