Basketball War

gao_yixing · Post by **gao_yixing** » 04 Aug 2006 04:12

I happened to know that there was a short war named Basketball War between Latvia and Lithuania in 1939, but the information about it is really rare.

AAA · Post by **AAA** » 08 Aug 2006 20:43

short war named Basketball War between Latvia and Lithuania in 1939

Is that meant a joke?

gao_yixing · Post by **gao_yixing** » 09 Aug 2006 07:22

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltic_Cup
I don't think so.

Reigo · Post by **Reigo** » 09 Aug 2006 15:32

I doubt that any shots were actually fired. Probably some kind of disagreement simply.

AAA · Post by **AAA** » 10 Aug 2006 13:45

I see. This is the danger of wikpedia (unsourced internet) and badly applied figurative language, apparently repeated by the FIFA (football) website. "Basketball War" in this case is entirely hyperbole.

There was no war between Latvia and Lithuania. There was not so much as a border incident.

What did happen : The 1939 Eurobasket (3rd European basketball championship) in Kaunas was won by Lithuania over Latvia 37-36 on the last basket. That shot occurred after time had run out, but the referee had not blown the whistle and counted the shot (accounts differ of course). Latvia protests but Lithuania is declared the winner. Conspiracy theories and acrimonious accusations.are made, it seems some regular sports events got cancelled that year.

Never heard it called "Basketball War" before. You are not confusing it with the actual so called "Football War" between Hondura and El Salvador in 1969?

gao_yixing · Post by **gao_yixing** » 11 Aug 2006 02:13

Thanks!

Now I know why I can't find anything about this "war".