When it comes to sports, Russia is mostly a hockey town, which makes sense. But with such a large population, it’s natural for a few standout basketball players to make their way from Russia to the NBA. While Russia is yet to produce a bonafide superstar, plenty of Russians have made an impact in the league. Let’s take a look at the best Russian-born players in NBA history.
Alexander Volkov
While he’s now Ukrainian and has served in the Ukrainian Parliament, Volkov was born in what is now Russia and did represent the Soviet Union at the 1988 Olympics.
He also played two years for the Hawks and was a trailblazer as just the second Soviet-born player drafted by an NBA team. While his NBA career was brief, Volkov played 149 games with 31 starts with the big man averaging 6.8 points per game.
Viktor Khryapa
Before returning to Russia and becoming one of the best players in Europe, Khryapa spent four seasons in the NBA from 2004 to 2008. He started 53 games for Portland during the 2005-06 season, averaging 5.8 points and 4.4 rebounds. The following offseason, the Trail Blazers used him in a trade with the Bulls to get LaMarcus Aldridge.
But Khryapa played very little with the Bulls over the next two seasons. His contract was eventually bought out so he could return to Russia.
Alexey Shved
Right before he helped Russia win bronze at the 2012 Olympics, Shved signed a deal with the Timberwolves. He was a regular part of their rotation during the 2012-13 season. But the combo guard’s role was diminished the following season, leaving Shved to be traded three times in less than two years.
During the 2014-15 season, he played 17 games for the 76ers before being traded to the Rockets. He played just nine games in Houston before he was traded to the Knicks. Shved averaged 14.8 points per game with the Knicks but only played 16 games
Timofey Mozgov
Along with Sasha Kaun, Mozgov became the first Russian to win an NBA title, doing so with the Cavaliers in 2016. The big man ended up playing eight seasons in the NBA, far longer than most of his countrymen. Mozgov started more than half of his 454 career games and had a few good seasons in Denver.
He then averaged a career-high 10.6 points per game with Cleveland during the 2014-15 season but had a more complementary role when the Cavs won the title the following year. When all was said and done, Mozgov averaged 6.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game during his NBA career.
Andrei Kirilenko
The Utah Jazz drafted Kirilenko in 1999, making him the first Russian drafted in the first round. After winning MVP honors in Russia in 2000, the Jazz brought him over in 2001 and Kirilenko spent 10 seasons in Utah. He made the All-Star Team in 2004, led the NBA in blocks in 2005, and averaged double figures in all but one of his seasons with the Jazz.
After returning to Russia for the 2011-12 season, Kirilenko returned to the NBA for three seasons, one with the Timberwolves and two in Brooklyn. However, he didn’t make much of an impact those seasons, returning to Europe for good after 13 seasons in the NBA, averaging 11.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game for his career.