The Legendary Tie-Dyed Slam-Dunking Skeleton Lives on with New Official 2024 Apparel Editions Released from Skullman.com
NEW YORK, July 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- After clinching the bronze medal 32 years ago in the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, the Lithuanian Olympic Basketball Team showed up on the Olympics medal platform wearing the way-out Skullman tie-dyed basketball uniforms. They wowed the world wearing something unexpected, that was never before seen in the world of Olympic sports.
Greg Speirs, American apparel designer, brand creator and licensor recognized for creating the Iconic 1992 Lithuanian Olympic Slam Dunking Skeleton Tie Dyed Basketball Uniforms, the Iconic Icicle Monk Bobsleds for Prince Albert of Monaco Olympic Bobsled Team for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics. As art director created the 1970's music magazine Grooves and appeared in "The Other Dream Team" documentary film. (PRNewsfoto/Skullman.com)
Greg Speirs' 1992 Lithuania Tie Dye Skullman® basketball uniforms are now forever part of Lithuania folklore. Original Skullman t-shirts are available from www.skullman.com (1992 Copyright & ® Trademarks of Greg Speirs / Licensor). (PRNewsfoto/Skullman.com)
Iconic 1992 Lithuania Basketball Tie Dye Uniforms Creator Greg Speirs explains his meaning for the Slam-Dunking Skeleton as seen in "The Other Dream Team" Olympic basketball documentary film.
Greg Speirs and Prince Albert of Monaco in LaPlagne, France showing the artist's iconic "Monaco Monk Icicle" Olympics Bobsleds he designed for Prince Albert's Monaco Olympic Bobsled Team in the 1995 World Cup Bobsleigh. The Olympic bobsleds then went on to be used in the Nagano, Japan Winter Olympics in 1998. The artist's bobsleds came with matching T-shirt uniforms for the Prince's Monaco Olympic Bobsled Team.
The Official 2024 Edition "Classic" Slam-Dunking Skullman® Skeleton released for 2024 on a Collector's Edition Green T-Shirt with a touch of tie-dye. Some shirt editions have special commemorative patches and embroideries.
The uniforms were created by NYC apparel brand designer Greg Speirs for the team to have something fun to wear, energizing and inspiring the team. Reaction was overwhelming. The players wore the shirts everywhere. The public wanted to buy one. "It became major news impacting popular culture, taking its place in Olympics history, and changed sports fashion forever. The Tie Dyed Skullman became a household icon." said Mike Thompson of Skullman.com.
It began when Lithuania broke from the Soviet Union and became free. Former Soviet player and NBA star Sarunas Marciulionis rallied donations for the new, financially strapped team, with hopes of the Lithuanians competing as a free nation in their first Olympics. Marciulionis received donations, including one separate $5,000 donation from the Grateful Dead, according to news reports, which was the part they played in this story.
The 2012 documentary film "The Other Dream Team" highlights the Lithuanian Basketball Team's experiences behind the Iron Curtain, who shared a goal – to utilize their athletic gifts to help free their country. The film celebrates Speirs' iconic tie-dyed uniforms. Olympics' basketball history.
Where the uniforms came from:
"The Skullman Lithuanian tie dyed basketball shirts are an independent line created and owned by designer Greg Speirs, were never an actual team jersey or part of the Grateful Dead. All licensing rights always originated exclusively from the designer." added Mike. Speirs is the art director who created the music magazine Grooves in the 1970's, designed the legendary "Monaco Monk" icicle bobsleds for Prince Albert of Monaco for the Nagano Olympics and collaborated in the 1970's with famed Woodstock Music Festival founder and record producer Artie Kornfeld, in particular with RCA Records.
"As demand for the shirts continued, the artist saw an opportunity to help the team and donated all of his profits and licensed use for a limited time to raise money for Marciulionis' team and charities. Greg was the major sponsor of the 1992 Lithuania Olympic Basketball Team after the Olympics by giving 100% of his profits starting at $450,000 & may have skyrocketed to millions from news reports. His profits were given to Sarunas Marciulionis' Children's Fund and basketball school. Greg played a more significant role than initially reported." added Mike. See the CNBC article
"The Lithuanian Basketball Team represents what happens in freedom. The Slam-Dunking Skullman represents rising from nothing, like a Phoenix from the ashes to slam-dunking a flaming basketball. It's not a dead skeleton but is alive and represents a new life. It was not only a victory in Olympic sports but was a triumph over communism itself. It's about freedom." recalled Speirs. Listen to interview
The uniforms were "enshrined" in the Basketball Hall of Fame on Dec.7th 1993, below a giant 12ft. x 8ft. 3-D Slam Dunking Skullman.
"It's really difficult to understand the magnitude and the significance and the impact and the power of what went down with those shirts." said NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton.
Vintage editions sell for hundreds of dollars online. The Official, Original 1992 Skullman® Lithuania Tie Dye® T-Shirts are available at Skullman.com.
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