The Iconic Skullman® Lithuania Tie Dye® Basketball Uniforms are Back in the News During the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics
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.
New York apparel Licensor Greg Speirs also heard about the team’s plight & independently created the Skullman tie dyed uniforms, so the team could have something fun to wear during the Olympics. Listen to the true podcast facts here
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.
Official Licensor of Original Lithuania Tie Dye® Brand Apparel.1992 ©Copyright & Trademark® property of Greg Speirs. Lithuania Tie Dye® & the Lithuanian Slam-Dunking Skeleton® and all related trademarks, indicia and symbols are Official Trademark Brands and Licenses of Greg Speirs. Official Licensor/ Exclusive Source.
SOURCE Skullman.com
