Slava Medvedenko sold his NBA championship rings for $250,000 after Russia's invasion.

Around a dozen Ukrainians have tried their hand in the strongest basketball league in the world - the American NBA. Among the Ukrainian players, Stanislav Medvedenko stands out as the most successful, arriving in the US in 2000 and winning a championship in his very first season with the star-studded Lakers. He repeated this success the following season.

After spending seven years in America, Slava returned to Ukraine, where he became involved in the national team's greatest achievement to date - a sixth place finish at Euro-2013 and participation in the World Championship the following year. He worked with the coaching staff of American Mike Fratello alongside the national team.

RBK-Ukraine spoke with Medvedenko about how he didn't want to be a basketball player but became one, his experiences on the court with NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, why he turned down a $16 million contract, and his disputes with FBU president Mykola Brodsky.

– It’s clear that basketball is a game that requires tall players. You are currently 208 centimeters tall. How did you get into this sport?

– I didn't like basketball as a child. I was the tallest in my class and was afraid that playing basketball would make me even taller. There was a myth about that. Finding clothes was very problematic. I had to tailor things at a shop. It wasn't until I was 19-20 years old that I traveled abroad and could easily find clothes for myself.

– How did you feel in Los Angeles, where many movie and show business stars live?

– Even now, whenever I arrive in LA, the border guards recognize and greet me, asking how long I’ll be staying. People on the streets recognize me too. Los Angeles has a very large basketball community, many people play, and the Lakers are the city's flagship team. Attending a game is a major event, even though the arena (Crypto.com Arena) accommodates 19,000 spectators. Almost all stars try to get to the games, and some have season tickets.

– It's known that Hollywood star Jack Nicholson is among them. The center of the film industry, Hollywood, is part of Los Angeles. Did you feel the spirit of show business in the city?

– Almost half the city consists of actors or directors, people from the industry. You go to a restaurant or café, and nearly the entire staff is auditioning for movies in the evenings.

– Did you want to act in movies?

– I appeared in a scene in the film "Oh Way, My Summer Game." It had a limited release. I realized that acting wasn't for me. You need to be like Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal), a natural who is always joking. Or fully immerse yourself in a role. Dedicate your entire life to it. Acting is not easy.

– Center Shaquille O'Neal is one of the biggest stars in NBA history. He was invited to the All-Star Games for 15 consecutive seasons. Is he really such an open and cheerful guy?

– Yes, he's a natural talent. Very versatile. He does it effortlessly. Sincerity, unforced joy, a smile, and charisma; he reminds me of Issuf Sanon (the point guard for the Ukrainian national team and Latvia's VEF). A cool guy. And at the same time, he’s a massive machine, a monster - two meters sixteen centimeters tall.

He's an open person who took mentorship over all the rookies, including me. He even helped with everyday issues. Very team-oriented, a true team player. Building a team around someone like him is very easy.

– Another star of the Lakers was one of the best players in NBA history, Kobe Bryant. Did he have the same attitude?

– Kobe was the complete opposite. A workaholic, he worked a lot. In a way, he was even a sociopath. It seemed like he had nothing else in his life besides basketball. Surprisingly, we had a warm relationship. When his jersey was hung from the rafters of the Staples Center, we had a party. He told me, "Dude, when I finished with basketball, I literally didn’t know what to do with myself." Kobe had a favorite café on the coast where he sometimes had breakfast before practices. He would say, "Dude, I sit there with an empty head and don’t know what to do. The only thing that pulls me out is my kids. I spend a lot of time with them." The life of professionals is not simple. Many people don't see what happens behind the scenes of this circus (Bryant ended his career in 2016 and tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2020).

– Did Lakers stars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant compete for the spotlight?

– No, each had their own position and role, which the coach defined. I was a power forward and occasionally played center.

– Dallas offered you to leave the Lakers in 2004. Why did you refuse?

– The offer was very good. Sometimes I regret not accepting it, but that’s how it is. They offered a four-year contract at four million a year.

– Before 2000, you only had experience playing for Ukrainian and Lithuanian clubs. And then you end up in the best league in the world with the strongest team. How did you feel?

– The first month was a cultural shock. I was getting used to the practices, the conditions, the huge arenas with 20,000 fans. You step onto the court, and there’s so much air above you that you don’t know what to do with it. Suddenly, dozens of people start shouting, reacting to your actions or mistakes.

I focused on basketball. Everything else took a back seat. If you know how to play and want to improve, adaptation happens.

– Did you attend a summer camp before your first NBA season?

– Yes, it was something else, just "insane." Gladiatorial battles. Scouts from around the world found 35 of the best players and brought them to the camp. It was a meat grinder. Out of them, one or two would sign contracts. Not everyone stays on the team.

To get into the NBA, guys were running with broken knees and bruises. One candidate ran for a week with broken wrists, secretly bandaging them and enduring the pain. Luckily, I entered the camp already with a contract.

– You retired quite early, at 28. The 2006/2007 season was your last. Why?

– Injuries got in the way. In my sixth year in the NBA, I had back surgery. I struggled for another year in Atlanta, and that was enough.

– Big players like you, who are close to 210 centimeters tall, are often strong under the rim but don’t always have a reliable long-range or mid-range shot. However, if you look at your highlights, you can often see great long-range shots. How important was that?

– Now in the NBA, a long-range shot is even more valuable than before. In basketball, big guys who can play facing the basket, stretch the opponent's defense, and constantly threaten with long and mid-range shots are highly valued. Tall, agile players with a good shot are very important.

– In recent years, more teams in basketball have been focusing on long-range shots. Doesn’t that make the game monotonous and less spectacular?

– Absolutely not. Basketball is constantly evolving. I think a four-point line is on the horizon. Soon, players will be regularly shooting from half court (smiles, - Ed.). Progress is happening, technology is advancing. There are more opportunities to work on your shooting. Basketball is becoming much faster. If you want to compare, look at how basketball was 10-20-30 years ago.

– The current president of the Basketball Federation of Ukraine (FBU), Mykhailo Yuriyovych Brodsky, also proposed introducing a four-point shot in basketball. But you criticized this idea. Why?

– He didn’t propose a four-point line; he simply suggested that certain shots should count for four points. No one understood how he envisioned it. Perhaps for a dunk... Not everyone can reach the rim (laughs, - Ed.). Better ask him for clarification. Maybe from under the leg. Maybe from the sideline.

– Perhaps you, Stanislav, are a conservative and simply believe that a person without a sports background cannot lead the federation. What do you think Mykhailo Yuriyovych is doing wrong?

– First of all, he should be a thought leader. He should understand how basketball works. For example, distinguish between a free throw and a three-pointer. When a