Are There Any Russian NBA Players?
Do you love the NBA? Do you have a favorite team? Maybe you’re even a fan of Russian basketball players. If so, you might be wondering if there are any Russian players in the NBA.
Unfortunately, as of right now, there are no Russian players in the NBA. However, that doesn’t mean that there haven’t been any in the past. In fact, a few Russian players have made a name for themselves in the NBA.
So, if you
Yes
There are currently two Russian-born players in the NBA. They are Andrei Kirilenko and Timofey Mozgov. Kirilenko is a small forward/power forward for the Brooklyn Nets, and Mozgov is a center for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Timofey Mozgov
Mozgov was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and began playing basketball at age 12. He played for the Russian junior national team before coming to the United States to play college basketball at the University of San Diego. He was later drafted by the New York Knicks in 2010. Mozgov has also played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Orlando Magic.
Alexey Shved
Alexey Shved is a Russian professional basketball player who last played for Khimki of the VTB United League and the EuroLeague. He also represented the Russian national basketball team. Standing at 6’6″ (1.98 m), he plays at the shooting guard and point guard positions.
No
There are no Russian players currently in the NBA. The last Russian player to be in the NBA was Sasha Kaun, who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2008 to 2009.
They’ve been in the past
In the past, there have been a few Russian players in the NBA. The most notable was Andrei Kirilenko, who played for the Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, and Minnesota Timberwolves over the course of his 12-year career. He was named an All-Star once and was named to the All-Defensive team twice. Other Russian players who have had brief stints in the NBA include Alexander Volkov, Sergey Makharov, and Slavko Vranes.
Could be in the future
In the past decade, the number of Russian players in the NBA has increased significantly. Currently, there are nine Russians playing in the NBA. This includes three players who were born in Russia and six players who were born in the United States to Russian parents.
Moscow-born Alexey Shved is one of the most successful Russian players in the NBA today. He was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2012 and has played for them ever since. Shved is a 1.98-meter (6’6”) guard and is known for his shooting skills. He averaged 10 points per game during his rookie season and helped the Timberwolves reach the playoffs.
Another well-known Russian player in the NBA is Brooklyn Nets center Andrey Kirilenko. Kirilenko was born in Moscow but moved to the United States with his family when he was a child. He played college basketball at the University of Missouri before being drafted by the Utah Jazz in 1999. Kirilenko spent 10 seasons with the Jazz and was named an All-Star in 2004. He then spent two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves before joining the Nets in 2013.
It is possible that we will see even more Russian players in the NBA in future years. In recent years, a number of Russians have been drafted into the NBA or have signed contracts to play in the league. These include Sergey Karasev (Cleveland Cavaliers), Timofey Mozgov (Denver Nuggets) and Nikita Kurbanov (Oklahoma City Thunder).
