One of the most notable wins for the Yugoslavian national team came in the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIBA World Cup, when the host nation of the tournament, the United States, was eliminated (81–78). The significance of the win was tremendous for the Serbian people in general, as the public in Serbia perceived the United States political leadership responsible for the breakup of Yugoslavia, and destruction of the country's infrastructure, and civil victims during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. After that, the Yugoslavian national team won the tournament by defeating New Zealand in the semi-finals and Argentina after an (84–77) OT win in the gold-medal game.