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Tom McMillen was a member of the 1972 U.S. mens basketball team that suffered one of the most agonizing defeats in Olympic history.The U.S. basketball program was 63-0 in Olympic competition entering the gold medal game against the Soviet Union in Munich on Sept. 9, 1972. But the rest of the basketball world had been gaining ground on the Americans during the era before NBA players were allowed to compete in the Games.So when the U.S.S.R. built a 10-point lead in the second half of a low-scoring game, it began to look as if history would be made. Still, the Americans relentlessly chipped away and took a 50-49 lead with three seconds left on two free throws by Doug Collins. The Soviets inbounded but then held the ball with one second left as head coach Vladimir Kondrashin demanded a timeout. Officials reset the clock to three seconds and gave the ball back to the U.S.S.R. on the Soviet baseline.The U.S. successfully defended the ensuing inbounds pass, and time expired. But then FIBA executive Renato William Jones came down from the stands and ordered the clock once again be reset to three seconds. This time, McMillen was set to defend the inbounds pass, but he said Bulgarian referee Artenik Arabadjian told him to back away from the baseline even though no rule required him to do so.I was on the ball, and if you notice in the video, the referee is motioning for me to get off the line, McMillen said. He didnt speak English, and hes motioning to me. Under international rules, as long as the guy had room to go back, then I didnt need to get off the line. And I knew that was the rule, but this guy who doesnt speak English is pushing me back. So, what do you do? You dont want to get a technical. ... The last thing you want to do is get a technical foul and have the game end like that.With no defender in his face, Soviet guard Ivan Edeshko was able to freely lob a full-court pass to big man Aleksandr Belov, who deftly caught the ball and put in the winning layup.To this day, conspiracy theories abound. It was, after all, the height of Cold War tension between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. Jones, an Englishman, was thought by some to be sympathetic to the Soviets. It has also been alleged that referees were bribed or threatened by Soviet interests. The U.S. players?refused to accept the silver medals, which still sit in a vault at the IOC.You got the feeling if that game was close, we were gonna lose it, McMillen said. The powers that be were destined to make us lose it. Thats the part thats hard to swallow.McMillen went on to play 11 NBA seasons and serve three terms as a U.S. congressman from Maryland. He is currently the president and CEO of the Division 1A Athletic Directors Association.Ultimately, in McMillens view, there is no shortcut to recovery from the agony of defeat. The sting can only fade with time.Youve got to get up, kick the dust off and get going again, McMillen said. I dont live this thing. Its kind of like Groundhog Day. It comes back every four years. People bring it up every Olympics. I dont think about it otherwise.With that in mind, here are nine other agonizing Olympic disappointments, including the recent scary cycling spill in Rio:1984: Mary Decker, track and fieldAn American competing in front of a partisan crowd in Los Angeles, Mary Decker was the strong favorite to win gold in the 3,000 meters. She had won gold at that distance at the 1983 world championships, and there was no reason to believe she wouldnt do the same in the Olympics. Instead, she was involved in a memorable collision with barefoot runner Zola Budd, a South Africa native competing for Great Britain. Some observers suspect Budd deliberately tripped Decker, while others believe it was an accident. After the race, Decker put the blame squarely on Budd. Watch the video and decide for yourself.Maricica Puica of Romania went on to win the race. Decker suffered a hip injury and was unable to continue, while a shaken Budd finished seventh. Decker and Budd have since reconciled and participated in the filming of The Fall, a 2016 documentary about the incident.1988: United States mens basketballThe U.S. mens basketball team at the Seoul Olympics included collegiate stars David Robinson, Danny Manning, Mitch Richmond and Dan Majerle in what turned out to be the final Games without NBA players. Entering their semifinal match against the Soviet Union, the Americans held an 85-1 all-time record in Olympic competition -- the only loss coming in the disputed 1972 gold medal game. These Americans, however, were unquestionably outplayed by a Soviet team led by future NBA players Sarunas Marciulionis and Arvydas Sabonis and lost 82-76 in the semifinals. The U.S.S.R. went on to beat Yugoslavia in the gold medal game, and the U.S. beat Australia to win bronze. Rules were changed to allow NBA players into the Olympics beginning in 1992, when the original Dream Team rolled to the gold medal.1988: Roy Jones Jr., boxingIn one of the most controversial judging outcomes in Olympic history, American light-middleweight Roy Jones Jr. lost a 3-2 decision to South Korean fighter Park Si-hun, who was competing on home soil in Seoul. Jones had dominated each of the three rounds by most accounts, and was in fact named outstanding boxer of the Games by an overall group of referees and judges. The three judges who determined the outcome of the Jones-Park bout were later accused of accepting bribes. Jones and U.S. coach Ken Adams were incredulous afterward. Ive been in boxing about 30 years, and thats the worst decision Ive seen in my life, Adams said. The 19-year-old Jones was so disillusioned that he said he was retiring from the sport. Jones reconsidered and went on to become one of the best boxers in history, winning world championships in multiple weight classes. Now 47, he still competes professionally and is scheduled to fight Saturday in his hometown of Pensacola, Florida, against journeyman Rodney Moore.1992: Derek Redmond, track and fieldDerek Redmond entered the Barcelona Olympics as the British record holder in the 400 meters. He also was a member of Great Britains gold medal-winning 4x400 relay team at the 1991 world championships. Backed by those credentials, he won his heats in the first round and quarterfinals in Barcelona, but he pulled up after tearing his right hamstring in the semifinals. Redmonds father then rushed down from the grandstands and memorably helped his hobbled son around the track to complete the race. Although Redmond isnt officially credited with having finished the race, footage of the event became a staple of inspirational Olympic moments.1992: Ibragim Samadov, weightliftingRussian weightlifter Ibragim Samadov was the defending world champion in the light-heavyweight class, and he represented the Unified Team in the wake of the fracturing of the Soviet Union. He finished in a three-way tie for first with combined lifts of 370 kilograms (815.7 pounds) but was awarded bronze on a technicality for weighing in a fraction of a kilogram heavier. Samadov threw his medal to the floor at the awards ceremony and was suspended indefinitely by the International Weightlifting Federation. He didnt compete in another Olympics.2004: Yang Tae-young, gymnasticsSouth Korean gymnast Yang Tae-young won the bronze medal in the all-around at the Athens Games, finishing behind Paul Hamm of the U.S. and fellow South Korean Kim Dae-eun. It was only afterward that it became apparent Yang had been incorrectly docked one-tenth of a point -- more than enough to lift him into first place. However, the International Gymnastics Federation asserted that South Korea didnt protest after the meet, and so the result wouldnt be overturned. Instead, federation president Bruno Grandi asked Hamm to relinquish the gold as an act of sportsmanship. The U.S. Olympic Committee turned down the request, saying the mistake was the federations responsibility.2004: Vanderlei de Lima, marathonVanderlei de Lima held the lead at the 22-mile mark of the mens marathon in Athens and stood to become the first Brazilian to win gold in the event. Enter a defrocked Irish priest named Neil Horan, who tackled de Lima into the crowd of spectators. By the time de Lima was freed, his 25-second lead was gone. He held on to win bronze behind winner Stefano Baldini of Italy and Meb Keflezighi of the U.S. De Lima was selected to light the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.2008: Ara Abrahamian, wrestlingAfter winning a bronze in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Beijing Olympics, Swedish athlete Ara Abrahamian rejected the medal by dropping it on the mat in protest. Abrahamian had been incorrectly assessed a penalty that changed the complexion of a match he lost to Andrea Minguzzi of Italy. Abrahamian was denied a video review afterward, and wrestlings governing body also refused to hear his protest. Abrahamian was ultimately disqualified for his act, and his bronze in the light-heavyweight class has been expunged from the record books.2016: Annemiek van Vleuten, cyclingNetherlands cyclist Annemiek van Vleuten had her Olympic dream end painfully Sunday when she crashed violently on a steep descent while leading the womens road race. She suffered three fractured vertebrae and remains hospitalized in Rio de Janeiro. Predictably, she disappointed by what transpired and shared her thoughts on Twitter.Dutch teammate Anna van der Breggen ultimately won the gold medal. Similarly, the two leaders of the mens cycling road race, Vincenzo Nibali of Italy and Sergio Henao of Colombia, crashed on the same descent the previous day. After Nibali and Henao were knocked out of action, Greg Van Avermaet of Belgium went on to capture the gold.Tristan Thompson Cavaliers Jersey . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. 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Clippards deal Monday means all eight Nationals players who filed for arbitration wound up settling before a hearing.After mostly cruising through four games, fifth-ranked North Carolina takes a different kind of challenge this week.The Maui Invitational should test the Tar Heels endurance.North Carolina has won each game by double-digit margins, so the likelihood for heightened competition is appealing at this stage of the season.I think that is what the whole team wants, Tar Heels guard Joel Berry said. We want a good challenge. We still have to go out there and play our hardest, so we can try and get better. I think going out to Maui and playing against some better competition will help us.The tournament schedule calls for three games in three days at Lahaina Civic Center, with the Tar Heels beginning Monday night against tournament host Chaminade (2-0), a Division II program.This is North Carolinas seventh appearance in the Maui Invitational, with the Tar Heels reaching the finals five times and winning the 1999, 2004 and 2008 events. The Tar Heels have a 15-3 record in the tournament.Coach Roy Williams said the competition is important. Hes also prone to point out the fringe benefits of the trip because he enjoys tropical weather.We go to Maui every four years for a reason -- the head coach likes it, Williams said.Yet the Tar Heels are aware that the basketball value is of utmost importance.We have to go with the right mindset, senior forward Kennedy Meeks said. I know its a nice place to go.North Carolina holds a 4-0 record for the first time since November 2012.Freshman post player Tony Bradley has scored in double figures in all four North Carolina games. Thats the most consecutive games in double figures at the beginning of a college career for a Tar Heel since Brandan Wrights 18-game stretch in 2006-07.ddddddddddddWilliams, with a 787-209 coaching record, moved into ninth place in Division I mens coaching victories with Friday nights 83-68 win at Hawaii. He passed Lefty Driesell.That game also resulted in the lowest point total of the season for the Tar Heels, who rang up more than 90 points in the first three games of the season -- something they hadnt done in 22 years.This marks the third Maui Invitational appearance in a row in which the Tar Heels will match up with Chaminade, though the last time it came in a consolation round.Chaminade, which was coming off a 12-15 record in 2015-16, hasnt played since winning Nov. 11 and 12 against Alaska Anchorage and Alaska, respectively, to open the new season.Our defense has been really, really good, sixth-year coach Eric Bovaird said on the schools web site. Its something weve focused on. Were getting better. Its something were going to focus on.Guards Rohndell Goodwin and Kiran Shastri averaged 24 and 20.5 points in the opening two games for Chaminade. Sam Daly, who was among the best in the Pacific West Conference last season in assists and steals, is a senior guard in his second year with the Silverswords after transferring from Grand Canyon.Starting out 2-0 going into Maui feels really good, Bovaird said.The North Carolina-Chaminade winner takes on the Connecticut-Oklahoma State winner in Tuesday nights semifinals, while the losers meet in the consolation bracket. ' ' '