Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Pashure peMitambo yeOlympic ya1980 uye 1980 European Championships, kwakasarudzwa kuti mutambo wevakadzi wekondinendi uitwe biennially gore rimwe nerimwe risingaverengeki <unk> kungofanana neEuropean Basketball Championship yevarume. Chikwata cheSoviet chakaramba chichihwina asi mukupera kwema1980, somugumisiro wekuchinja kwechizvarwa, hukuru hwavo hwakanga husingachanyanyi kukurudzira sezvazvaive kare. Muna 1986 vakatambura kukundwa kwavo kwekutanga pamakwikwi epasi rose kwemakore makumi maviri nemasere - pakutanga, vakakundwa neUnited States mumutambo wekusarudza we1986 Goodwill Mitambo nemusiyano wemapoinzi makumi maviri nematatu (60<unk>83) uye mwedzi unotevera vakakundwa nechikwata cheUS nemusiyano wemapoinzi makumi maviri (88<unk>108) mumutambo wekupedzisira we
World Championship (mitambo yose yakatambwa muMoscow). Kunyange zvakadaro, chikwata cheSoviet chakaramba chichitonga muEurope. Vakakunda 1987 European Championship yakaitirwa kuSpain mushure mekurova Czechoslovakia (89<unk>81) mumasemifainari neYugoslavia (83<unk>73) mumutambo wekupedzisira. Asi gore rakatevera pa 1988 Summer Olympics muSeoul, South Korea, Yugoslavia yakakwanisa kuita zviri nani - vakatora menduru dzesirivha nekurasikirwa nemapoinzi manomwe chete kuchikwata cheUS mumutambo wekupedzisira (70<unk>77) nepo timu yeSoviet yakashamisika kukundikana kusvika kumagumo uye zvisingatarisirwi yakapedza chete panzvimbo yechitatu kekutanga munhoroondo yavo. Muchikamu cheboka che 1989 European Championship yakaitirwa muBulgaria, timu yeSoviet yakakunda Czechoslovakia neNetherlands nemusiyano wemapoinzi matatu chete (78<unk>75 uye 59<unk>56 zvichiteerana) ndokuzosvika kumagumo uko yakakunda Czechoslovakia zvakare nemusiyano mumwe chete (64<unk>61). Asi paMakwikwi Enyika a1990 muMalaysia, Soviet Union yakarasikirwa muchikamu chechipiri cheboka neCzechoslovakia (79<unk>82) neYugoslavia (63<unk>64) uye yakapedza iri panzvimbo yechishanu chete. Yakanga iri nguva yokutanga uye bedzi apo chikwata cheSoviet chakakundikana kusvika pachigaro chokukwikwidza pamakwikwi enyika dzakawanda umo vakapinda. Kufanana nemakore maviri apfuura, Yugoslavia yakawana menduru dzesirivha pashure pokurasikirwa neU.S. mumutambo wokupedzisira (78<unk>88).