Pioneers of the World Basketball Championship – Colorized #2
One of the most famous photographs from the first Basketball World Championship. John Stanich, Oscar Furlong, and Alvaro Salvador, representing the USA, Argentina, and Spain, respectively.
John Stanich – Born in Sacramento, he played at the renowned UCLA college. He was drafted by the New York Knicks but never played for them. He decided not to pursue a professional basketball career and ended up with the Denver Chevrolet team. He was selected in the ideal team of the first World Championship. 🇺🇲
Oscar Furlong – The first MVP of world championships and the top scorer of the inaugural tournament. After basketball, he dedicated himself to tennis and, in 1977, as a coach, led the Argentine tennis team to the Davis Cup semifinals. 🇦🇷
Alvaro Salvador – Due to the civil war, he emigrated to Chile with his family at a young age. On that journey, he was kidnapped, but fortunately, he was found. He was Spain’s top scorer and a member of the championship’s ideal team. In the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, he represented Chile. 🇪🇦 🇨🇱
A lesser-known trio to the public, but they hold the title of the first stars of FIBA World Championships. Let’s cherish their memory. 🏀
https://www.instagram.com/p/CvQMfXbsGUD/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
written by: Mladen Radosavljevic