U.S. Basketball Stars Play Hoop on Red Square

In Boston and New York, the hallowed professional basketball arenas are built above train stations. In Moscow, the court that is supposed to launch a great hoop tradition has been constructed in the shadows of the Kremlin walls -- above cobblestones. With the National Basketball Association finals raging across the Atlantic, Red Square -- the spiritual and physical center of the city -- will be the venue for an unusual exhibition basketball game Friday at 6 P.M. An all-star U.S. team, led by Adrian Dantley, Cedric Maxwell and Walter Davis, and coached by Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, 55, has come to town to take on the 1988 Soviet Olympic champion squad on a hardwood court next to the Lenin Mausoleum. The surroundings for this contest might be the only thing stranger than the fact that the Soviets won the gold that year in the first place: Since basketball became an Olympic sport in 1936, the United States had only lost one other time, in 1972. History may well repeat itself in Red Square since the ex-Soviet team is a good deal younger than the renowned but aging U.S. all-stars.The event, called "Stars on Red Square," was organized to promote basketball in Russia and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Hitler's defeat.For the sponsors and the players involved, it does not matter much that in fact next year is the 50th anniversary of Nazi capitulation. To them, the important thing is the game itself and its diplomatic purpose. Admission to the game is free, and Shamil Tarpishev, Russia's minister of physical culture, is hoping for a high turnout. "We want to establish a tradition of great basketball in Moscow," Tarpishev said at the press conference at which the American team was introduced. "This is the first year, but in the future we hope to attract other prestigious teams."The U.S. team will go on to Zurich for another exhibition as part of an effort to promote basketball in Europe.The team that arrived on Wednesday is not short on prestige. Robertson, who starred for the Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks, played from 1960 to 1974 will be assisted by Dave DeBusschere, who was on the New York Knicks' championship teams of 1970 and 1973. With smooth shooters such as Dantley, Davis, and Trent Tucker complemented by big men like Maxwell, Brad Sellers and Dan Roundfield, the oldest player at 41, the U.S. side is balanced, if a touch too seasoned: Dantley, Davis, Maxwell and Roundfield have retired. The American squad is rounded out by Darrell Walker, Sedric Toney, Darnell Valentine and Joe Hassett. The Soviet side, coached by Alexander Gomelsky, includes stars from Russia and the former republics, such as Alexander Volkov, who played for two years with the Atlanta Hawks, and Arvidas Sabonis and Rimas Kurtinaitis. Gomelsky, who was at the helm in Seoul in 1988 when his Soviet team beat Yugoslavia for the gold medal, said that the toughest part about putting the event together was assembling his team. "Some of our players are playing professionally in Europe," Gomelsky said, referring to Volkov, who plays in Greece, and Sabonis, who is on the Real Madrid squad. "We have people flying in from all over."At a reception after Wednesday's press conference, the U.S. squad was relaxed, fairly jet-lagged -- and curious about Moscow. Trent Tucker wanted to know what Russians were like and what it would be like to live here. He was a bit nervous when he found out that the game would be outside, but not because of air quality. The wind might affect his arcing three-point shot. A reasonable concern, but DeBusschere, who has traveled often to Russia and Belarus because of real-estate projects, was more upbeat. "I'm just really happy to be back here," he said. "We're all looking forward to playing."If things start to go badly on the court, will "The Big O" -- Robertson -- rip off his blazer and jump in the game?"Not unless coach Gomelsky does, too," he said with a smile.bling his team. "Some of our players are playing professionally in Europe," Gomelsky said, referring to Volkov, who plays in Greece, and Sabonis, who is on the Real Madrid squad. "We have people flying in from all over."At a reception after Wednesday's press conference, the U.S. squad was relaxed, fairly jet-lagged -- and curious about Moscow. Trent Tucker wanted to know what Russians were like, and what it would be like to live here. He was a bit nervous when he found out that the game would be outside, but not because of air quality. The wind might affect his arcing three-point shot. A reasonable concern, but DeBusschere, who has traveled often to Russia and Belarus because of real-estate projects, was more upbeat. "I'm just really happy to be back here," he said. "We're all looking forward to playing. It's going to be a fast-paced game."If things start to go badly on the court, will "The Big O" -- Robertson -- rip off his blazer and jump in the game?"Not unless coach Gomelsky does, too," he said with a smile.