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A basketball friendly game between Finland and Russia. Both teams were preparing for the EuroBasket 2017 tournament. photo by Tuomas Vitikainen –

10 Best Russian Basketball Players Of All Time

In Russia, a wide range of sports is available for participation by anyone. These sports include ice hockey, football, rugby league, handball, weightlifting, gymnastics, figure skating, biathlon, boxing, wrestling, martial arts, volleyball, rugby union, and skiing but a single sport stands out clearly from the others: basketball.

Since its inception, basketball has been well-received in Russia, where it has grown to become one of the most prestigious professions. Some of the most gifted players in the game’s history have come from it, and their success has helped them win even more recognition abroad. These athletes perform like no other on the court thanks to their skills and agility. They stood out from the other players’ thanks to their distinctive qualities, which propelled them up to the upper echelon.

The athletes have stood the test of time and have received praise for their accomplishments, and Russia as well as the rest of the world celebrates them. Here are the 10 best Russian basketball players of all time.

1. Andrei Kirilenko

Andrei Kirilenko at Eurobasket 2011. photo by Christopher Johnson –

Andrei Kirilenko is a Russian-American basketball executive and former professional basketball player. Kirilenko was a skilled forward who could fill the either forward position. He was praised for his excellent performance in both offence and defence averaging 11.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, respectively, in his NBA career and twice topping three blocks per game for a season.

He had a quick first step and was skilled at getting fouls when playing offence. He was three times chosen for the All-Defensive First or Second Team. Shot blocking (an NBA career average of 1.8 blocks per game) and ball steals were the cornerstones of Kirilenko’s defensive prowess.

2. Timofey Mozgov

Timofey Mozgov in 2015 photo by Erik Drost –

Timofey Mozgov is a Russian former professional basketball player. Mozgov was one of the first Russians to win an NBA championship in 2016 while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He earned a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal at EuroBasket 2011 while competing for the Russian national team.

Before being moved to the Nets in the 2017 summer, Mozgov signed a contract with the Lakers in 2016. He was moved to the Magic during the 2018 summer before coming back to Khimki in 2019. From 2021 to 2022, he most recently appeared as a star with Runa Basket Moscow.

Also Read: 35 Best White Basketball Players of All Time.

3. Sergei Belov 

Soviet basketball player Sergei Belov lighting the Olympic fire during the 22nd Olympics opening gala in Moscow, 1980. photo by RIA Novosti archive, –

Russian basketball player Sergei Belov is most known for his time spent with CSKA Moscow and the senior Soviet Union national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest European basketball players of all time, and he had the honour of igniting the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony of the Moscow Summer Olympics in 1980.

Belov was recognized by FIBA as the best FIBA player of all time in 1991. On May 11, 1992, he was elected as the first player internationally to be elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was also selected as one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors in 2008 and was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.

Find out: Understand The Love Story Between The Olympics and France.

4. Alexey Shved

Alexey Shved photo by TonyTheTiger –

Alexey Shved is a Russian professional basketball player who plays as a shooting guard for CSKA Moscow of the VTB United League. Shved spent three years in the NBA playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, and the New York Knicks before returning to Europe and being named to the All-EuroLeague Second Team in 2018.

He had previously assisted CSKA Moscow in their 2012 run to the EuroLeague final. He achieved a bronze medal for being on the Russian national team in both the 2011 EuroBasket and the 2012 Summer Olympics.

5. Alexander Belov

Alexander Belov was a Soviet basketball player who played in the centre position. The most notable accomplishment of Belov is the game-winning basket he made in the gold medal game at the Munich Summer Olympics in 1972, which awarded the senior Soviet national team the gold medal. With the senior Soviet Union national team, Belov captured four gold medals.

Belov won gold medals in the EuroBasket in 1969 and the FIBA World Championship in 1970 while competing for the USSR. At the 1971 EuroBasket, he also took home the gold medal. In 1974, he won the gold medal at the FIBA World Championship. Additionally, in 1975, he earned the silver medal at the EuroBasket. He also won the bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in 1976. In 1991, FIBA honoured Belov as one of its 50 Greatest Players. 2007 saw his induction into the FIBA Hall of Fame.

6. Alexander Petrenko

Alexander Petrenko was a professional basketball player from Russia. He was a player for the Khimki Moscow Region, in the Russian Championship from 2002 to 2006 before his untimely passing. Petrenko participated in the 1999 EuroBasket. In 2006, he was named Russian League Player of the Year. He was a proud part of Russia’s senior national basketball squad.

7. Pavel Podkolzin

Pavel Podkolzin is a former Russian professional basketball player. He has previously played in the NBA and the NBA Development League. He stands 2.26 meters (7 feet 5 inches) tall. Podkolzin was a high draft pick in 2004 because of his size, blocking ability, and strength, but he was selected late in the draft. In his first two Las Vegas Summer League Revue games, Podkolzin averaged 6.0 rebounds in 14.0 minutes.

8. Andrey Zubkov

Andrey Zubkov is a Russian basketball player who plays professionally for the Zenit Saint Petersburg of the VTB United League. He began playing for the senior Russian team during the 2011-2012 season. He competed at the EuroBasket 2015 and the EuroBasket 2017. He was VTB’s United League MVP of the month in December 2016.

9. Sergei Bazarevich

Sergei Bazarevich,russian professional basketball player photo by MEDIACRAT –

Sergei Bazarevich is a Russian former professional basketball player and coach who played shooting guard and point guard during his playing time. He played regularly for the senior Russian national basketball team and was the winner of the 1993 EuroBasket silver medal and the 1994 FIBA World Championship silver. During all the competitions, he was named on the All-Tournament Team.  Sergei served as the Russian national team’s head coach from 2016 to 2021.

10. Gennadi Volnov

From the late 1950s through the early 1970s, Russian basketball player Gennadi Volnov represented the senior Soviet Union national team. At the Summer Olympic Games in 1972, Volnov earned the gold medal while competing for the senior Soviet Union national basketball team. At the Summer Olympics, he also captured two silver medals (1960 and 1964). He also took home a bronze medal from the Olympic Summer Games in 1968.

In addition, Volnov won six gold EuroBasket medals (1959, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, and 1969), a bronze medal in the 1963 FIBA World Championship and a gold medal at the 1967 FIBA World Championship. He was one of the 105 players nominated for the list of the 50 Most Valuable Euro League Contributors.

Related: Top 10 Best Serbian Basketball Players.