The NBA Finals date back to 1947 (when they were known as the Basketball Association of America Finals) and the very 1st NCAA tourney was held in 1939. Olympic basketball competition is even older: it debuted as a demonstration event in 1904 and the men’s version became a medal sport in 1936, with the women finally getting their chance to go for the gold in 1976. The United States has dominated Olympic basketball competition from the start: the men have won 15 gold medals in the 18 tournaments they have participated in during the past 84 years, while the women have won 8 gold medals in the 10 tournaments in which they have competed during the past 44 years. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel has been trying to interview as many prior Olympic players/coaches as possible so that you have something to read while waiting for the next Summer Games. We continue our coverage by chatting with Jeff Turner about winning a gold medal in 1984 and beating Michael Jordan in the playoffs.
You played for Hall of Famer CM Newton at Vanderbilt: what made him such a good coach, and what was the most important thing that you ever learned from him? He was very knowledgeable about the game and commanded with a lot of respect. He was not a yeller/screamer but we did not want to let him down. He was fair with everybody about not having a pecking order, which I really appreciated.
You played for team USA at the 1982 FIBA World Championship: where does your 1-PT loss to the Soviet Union in the gold medal game rank among the most devastating of your career? It is right up there. I played a lot of international basketball throughout college. I played on a select team that summer with Michael Jordan and others in Europe. Our team did not have a lot of notoriety at the time so we just fought through the expectations of American basketball: the country did not invest a lot in that particular tourney so we wanted to send everyone a message. We were right there against the Soviets and had a shot to win it at the buzzer but it did not go in.
Your PPG/RPG/FT% increased during each of your 4 years on campus: how were you able to keep getting better every single season? My friends call me a grinder! I loved the game and kept working at it so the coaches kept expecting more of me. I loved the work, which is how I was able to have so much longevity in the sport. I am proudest of my shooting: I led the SEC in FT% as a senior.
In 1984 you were named 1st-team All-SEC (along with Charles Barkley/Chuck Person), while Kenny Walker made the 2nd-team and Sam Bowie made the 3rd-team: how strong was SEC basketball back in the day? Kentucky was loaded with guys like Melvin Turpin/Bowie, Auburn was up-and-coming, and Georgia made the Final 4 the year after Dominique Wilkins went pro. We were pretty good during my junior year but then we were hit hard by graduation. We were a really young team during my senior year and we lost a lot of close games.
Take me through the magical 1984 Olympics with team USA:
You played 8 exhibition games against some of the best players in the NBA to prepare for the Olympics: how were you able to go 8-0 against a bunch of Hall of Famers such as Larry Bird/Robert Parish/Isiah Thomas? When you are a college kid playing against NBA guys the main advantage you have is getting to practice together as a team. In the NBA you can play yourself into shape during training camp but their team was just thrown together that summer. We were a very competitive crew led by the most competitive person who has ever played the game in Jordan so every time that we stepped onto the court it was all about winning.
You had a 31-PT win over Spain in the gold medal game: what did it mean to you to represent your country, and what did it mean to you to win a gold medal? I get asked that a lot. For me the Olympics were always something that I was interested in. I remember watching the 1972 gold medal game in my grandfather’s living room when the USSR got 3 chances to beat the USA. I always dreamed of the opportunity so just getting invited to the trials was an honor. Winning a gold medal was a once-in-a-lifetime thing and the fulfillment of a dream I had as a 10-year old boy.
You remain the last team of college players to win a gold medal: how did you feel about the USA deciding to use NBA players in 1992, and do you think we will ever return to it being a group of college players? I thought that we always should have sent our best players to the Olympics: how can you argue with all of the Hall of Famers on the Dream Team in 1992? I do not think it will ever go back to college kids, although some of the qualifying games now use G League guys. I want it to always be an honor to represent your country, which is something that Jerry Colangelo/Mike Krzyzewski did a great job of by giving young players a chance to play international ball and develop their skills.
That June you were drafted 17th overall by New Jersey (1 spot behind John Stockton): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? It was pretty special. Things were different back then: AAU ball was not as big and there was no hype via social media. I did not start thinking about playing in the NBA until Coach Newton started talking to me about it during my junior season. Before the Olympic trials I played against the top seniors in the Aloha Classic but we really did not know who was interested in us. None of the Olympians were in New York for the draft: we were sitting in a green room in a TV studio in Bloomington, and when your name got called you sat in front of a camera and talked to the guys covering the draft.
You later spent 2 years playing in Italy: what was the biggest difference between basketball in the US vs. basketball overseas? I came along at a time when European basketball was very mechanical. I got to play against a young Yugoslavian player named Drazen Petrovic who had a little bit of flair to him. The biggest difference in foreign basketball as it is catching up to American basketball is the time they spend coaching fundamentals to everyone: how to handle the ball, pass, etc.
Take me through the 1995 playoffs with Orlando:
In the 1st round you beat Chicago in 6 games: how on earth did you become the last team to ever beat Jordan in the postseason? There is always an asterisk: that is the year that he came back late due to his stint in baseball. We had a special young team with 2 superstars in Shaquille O’Neal/Penny Hardaway and some brash guards plus a veteran in Horace Grant who had been through the wars with Jordan. It was a nice combination of youth/veterans. I would like to think that we could have won a title or 2 if we had been able to keep everyone together.
In the Finals you were swept by defending champion Houston: how much of an advantage is experience with a title at stake? I think there is something to it: we ran into a buzz-saw. We had not even won a playoff series in 1994 so while it was a magical run in 1995, the Rockets were grinding their way through the playoffs having already won a title in 1994. They already had Hakeem Olajuwon and then added Clyde Drexler: we did not have anyone besides Horace with playoff experience.
After retiring as a player you spent 9 years as the team’s radio announcer and are now the TV announcer: how do you like the gig, and how long do you plan to stick around for? I LOVE the gig! I have 1 of 30 jobs in the world where I get to comment on the best brand of basketball in the world. I loved doing radio and got to learn the business, and now working alongside a pro like David Steele has been a blessing. I will do it until they run me off! Everything has to end at some point but as long as I enjoy it and I can remain relevant to the game I will hang in there.
You later became Associate Athletic Director at Lake Highland Preparatory School and coached the basketball team to its 1st state championship in 2013: how does winning a state title as a coach compare to winning a gold medal as a player? When I took a little hiatus from the Magic to start coaching my goal was to build Lake Highland into a program that could compete at a high level. The journey of building that and the culmination of winning a title was different. As a player you are so wrapped up in yourself, but as a coach the joy is in the eyes/smiles of the 15 young men in your locker room. I can never replace winning a gold medal so that is 1-A…but holding up that trophy is probably 1-B.