Alexander Volkov (basketball)

Oleksandr Anatoliyovych Volkov (Ukrainian: Олександр Анатолійович Волков; born 29 March 1964), commonly known as Sasha Volkov, is a retired Ukrainian professional basketball player. He was born in Omsk, RSFSR, Soviet Union. At 6'10" (2.08 m) tall, he played at the power forward and center positions. He was versatile with the ball and quick on his feet, which made him a very sought after player.

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming conventions, the patronymic is Anatoliyovych and the family name is Volkov.
Oleksandr Volkov
Volkov, in 2013.
Personal information
Born (1964-03-28) 28 March 1964
Omsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
NationalityUkrainian
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight243 lb (110 kg)
Career information
NBA draft1986: 6th round, 134th overall pick
Selected by the Atlanta Hawks
Playing career1981–2002
PositionPower forward / center
Number8
Career history
1981–1986Stroitel
1986–1988CSKA Moscow
1988–1989Stroitel
1989–1992Atlanta Hawks
1992–1993Reggio Calabria
1993–1994Panathinaikos
1994–1995Olympiacos
2000–2002Kyiv
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
FIBA Hall of Fame as player
Medals
Men's Basketball
Representing the  Soviet Union
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1988 Seoul
FIBA World Cup
Silver medal – second place 1986 Spain
Silver medal – second place 1990 Argentina
EuroBasket
Gold medal – first place 1985 West Germany
Silver medal – second place 1987 Greece
Bronze medal – third place 1989 Yugoslavia

Professional career

Volkov played professionally for Stroitel (1981–1986; 1988–1989), CSKA Moscow (1986–1988), in the NBA, with the Atlanta Hawks (1989–1992), Panasonic Reggio Calabria (1992–1993), Panathinaikos (1993–1994), Olympiacos (1994–1995), and Kyiv (2000–2002).

In USSR he was also selected MVP in 1989, and was one of the key players on the Soviet national team since 1985, winning the gold medal at the 1988 Seoul games.

In 1986 he became the second player from the Soviet Union to be drafted to the NBA. He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 6th round (Sabonis was drafted late in the first round). Volkov signed with the Hawks 3 years later on 1 August 1989. His brief career in NBA was hampered by injury as well as competition from several all-star front-men: Dominique Wilkins, Kevin Willis and Moses Malone. Volkov averaged 5 points and close to 2 rebounds per game during his first (89-90) season. After missing the whole next season, he came back stronger, roughly doubling his statistical output on the floor and even starting in 27 games. Afterwards, he chose to continue his career in Europe.

He was one of the founders of BC Kyiv. Volkov, who had already retired from playing in 1995, returned to play several games, to help the newly found team in 2000. He later also served as the team's President.[1]

National team career

Volkov won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics, as a member of the senior Soviet Union national basketball team. He also briefly came out of retirement, to play for the senior Ukrainian national basketball team, in 1998.[2]

NBA career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1989–90 Atlanta 72413.0.482.382.5831.71.2.5.35.0
1991–92 Atlanta 772719.7.441.318.6313.43.2.9.48.6
Career 1493116.5.455.333.6132.62.2.7.36.8

Political career

From 1999 to 2000, Volkov served as a chairman of the State Committee on Sports in Ukraine. In June 2007, he was elected the head of the Ukrainian Basketball Federation.[3]

Volkov was elected to the Ukrainian Parliament in 2006 on the party list of the Our Ukraine Bloc.[4] But against the will of his faction, he joined the Anti-Crisis Coalition, which prompted early elections.[4] In the early parliamentary elections in 2007 he was reelected to Parliament through the Party of Regions.[4] Volkov was again elected through the Party of Regions to the Ukrainian Parliament in 2012.[5] But left this party's faction in parliament on 17 April 2014.[6] and joined the (then new) faction Economic Development one week later.[7] In the 2014 Ukrainian parliamentary election Volkov failed to get reelected into parliament; he was number 9 on the election list of Strong Ukraine, but the party won only one constituency parliamentary seat.[8][9]

Personal life

In 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Volkov joined Ukrainian volunteers fighting against Russian forces. Volkov's family home in Chernihiv was destroyed by the bombings.[10]

References
  1. "Volkov looks forward to All Star Day". FIBA Europe. March 9, 2004. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  2. Taylor, Richard (December 3, 1998). "Basketball: England frozen out by Ukraine". The Independent. Independent Print Limited. Archived from the original on 2012-11-09. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  3. "Volkov Elected President Of Ukraine Federation". FIBA Europe. June 21, 2007. Retrieved October 16, 2010.
  4. (in Russian) Волков Александр Анатольевич, file.liga.net
  5. (in Ukrainian)Московский комсомолец:Рада як ніколи Moskovsky Komsomolets:Council as ever, Korrespondent.net (13 September 2012)
  6. "Офіційний портал Верховної Ради України".
  7. "Офіційний портал Верховної Ради України".
  8. "Волков Олександр Анатолійович — Біографія, Балотування, Фракції, Декларації | ПолітХаб".
  9. Poroshenko Bloc to have greatest number of seats in parliament Archived 2014-11-10 at the Wayback Machine, Ukrainian Television and Radio (8 November 2014)
    People's Front 0.33% ahead of Poroshenko Bloc with all ballots counted in Ukraine elections - CEC, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014)
    Poroshenko Bloc to get 132 seats in parliament - CEC, Interfax-Ukraine (8 November 2014)
  10. "Olympic champion Sasha Volkov fighting to defend Ukraine". Eurohoops. 2022-03-10. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
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