“How many Russian athletes are known around the world? Only four come to mind” – Kirilenko

President of the Russian Basketball Federation (RFB) Andrei Kirilenko in an interview with , he said that in history, few Russian athletes have become truly famous around the world.

He also noted that one must raise one’s class gradually and not rush into a more competitive championship at the first opportunity.

— Head coach of the Russian national football team Valery Karpin said: “If you have the opportunity to participate in the European Championships, then go.” How does this apply to basketball? A Russian NBA star will spark interest in basketball across the country.

— The best prospect today is Yegor Demin, 17, who now plays for Real Madrid. Undoubtedly, when a Russian athlete participates in a high-level championship and plays a leading role, this draws attention to our sport.

But if we look at our entire history, how many Russian athletes can you name me who are famous all over the world? Only four come to mind that many people know: Alexander Ovechkin, Maria Sharapova, Khabib… Name the fourth yourself. In other words, we don’t have many of these athletes. And you’re trying to tell me: it would be nice if we had our own Michael Phelps in swimming… Of course, good! But there are very, very few examples of this type.

I believe that a basketball player must play and evolve in a logical way. If, logically, it is better for him to play for a Russian club in order to get decent development time, he should do so. If he has already reached his ceiling, then yes, you can move on to the next step. But that doesn’t mean you have to go somewhere like that. You need to measure the steps you take in your career. Maybe choose a good championship before reaching the highest level. We need to logically raise our class, and not abandon everything and sit on our suitcases,” Kirilenko told .

Kirilenko played in the NBA as a player for Utah, Minnesota and Brooklyn in the years 2000-2010.