The NBA is a league that is naturally dominated by players from the US. That doesn’t mean that other nationalities don’t play a starring role in making it one of the most loved sports around the globe though and over the years, Russia has been one of them. Here we look at five of the best.
Number 5. Sasha Kaun
Kaun came through the system at Kansas University where his team triumphed in the 2008 National Collegiate Athletic Association Basketball (NCAAB) championship. Shortly after that success, Kaun stepped up to the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics taking him in the second round of the draft. The franchise then uprooted to move to Oklahoma City and Kaun’s stint in the NBA was over without making an appearance – at least for a while. After spending eight years and winning 11 trophies in his homeland with CSKA Kaun headed back to the States. His spell with the Cleveland Cavaliers, which was the entirety of his NBA career, might have on yielded 25 appearances but it saw him win the NBA championship. For that reason, Kaun has to feature in our top five.
Number 4. Alexey Shved
Shved originally put himself forward for a NBA spot in 2010 but went undrafted meaning he would return to CSKA Moscow after a temporary spell with city rivals Dynamo. Little did Shved know that in just two years’ time he’d get another bite of the NBA cherry. This came courtesy of the Minnesota Timberwolves; he was a regular in his time there too. His first season saw him appear in 77 matches with a respectable set of stats including game averages of 2.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 8.6 points.
His time on the court reduced in the 2013/14 campaign but he still made 63 appearances as the Timberwolves made the play-offs – albeit not through their finishing position. Spells with the Philadelphia 76ers and Houston Rockets followed but Shved failed to nail down a regular spot. A move to the New York Knicks in February 2015 looked like being the catalyst to kick start things for him again though. He posted NBA career highs for rebounds, points and minutes per game but a $10m offer from Khimki tempted him back to Russia in July of the same year.
Number 3. Alexander Volkov
You might debate whether or not Volkov should be in this list given he’s now considered Ukrainian. That said, his performances on the court came at a time when the Soviet Union was still around and, for that reason, his contribution cannot be ignored. A round six pick in the draft is rarely noteworthy but Volkov’s selection as the 134th overall pick in 1986 was a first for the Soviet Union. He didn’t make his breakthrough with the Atlanta Hawks until 1989 meaning he’d already scooped gold at the Seoul Olympics.
He may have only played in the NBA for two seasons but he racked up 149 appearances with his nimble footwork a real asset to the Hawks. In the early 1990’s he was recognised for his performances across the wider sport of basketball when named in FIBA’s greatest players list.
Number 2. Timofey Mozgov
We’ve already mentioned Sasha Kaun’s championship win in 2015/16 whilst with the Cavaliers. Well, Mozgov was part of that line-up too meaning the duo share the honour of being the first Russian’s to win such an honour. If Kaun’s contribution to that triumph is up for debate, the same cannot be said for Mozgov who made 48 starts and a total of 76 appearances on route to glory.
The medal might be the only one from his NBA days, but his strong displays were far from a one season wonder. A year earlier he helped the Cavs to the play-offs with a career high PPG return whilst his five years with the Denver Nuggets also saw a play-off appearance. He also represented the Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and LA Lakers over a 10-year NBA stay.
Number 1. Andrei Kirilenko
Kirilenko already had three years of professional basketball under his belt when he was drafted by Utah Jazz in 2001 as an 18-year-old. His selection at number 24 made him the first ever Russian round one pick. His experience showed too with the former CSKA man going on to be named rookie of the year in his inaugural NBA season. It was just the start for Kirilenko though.
The Russian, who measures 2,07m and is nicknamed AK-47, was one of the NBA best small forwards and power forwards. However, in 2004 he was named an All-Star alongside the first of his three NBA Defensive team honours whilst 2005 saw him lead the league on blocks. This shows how Kirilenko was a versatile player, capable of attacking and defending with ease.
His NBA career spanned 13 years. A brief spell with the Timberwolves separated a two-year farewell with the Brooklyn Nets but he will always be remembered as a legend by the Jazz with six of his seven play-off campaigns coming in a decade long spell in Utah.
There you have it, five players who prove that it’s not just the American players who make the NBA great.
