Former Russian NBA player Andrei Kirilenko has been named as president of the Russian Basketball Federation.
The 34-year-old spent 13 seasons in the NBA and was elected unopposed at a conference Tuesday in Moscow
Kirilenko takes over an organization in crisis after it was suspended
in July by international governing body FIBA following years of
infighting and legal battles, which led to the result of the last
federation elections being overturned.
The former NBA All-Star --
who only retired from playing in June -- ran as a unity candidate and
reformer, telling delegates "you are all my team" and pledging to
confront "the very deep crisis of trust" in Russian basketball.Kirilenko said his priority as president would be to attract more
youngsters to basketball, which Kirilenko said has been losing fans
rapidly in Russia.
Kirilenko has brought a number of current and
ex-players into senior federation roles, including ex-Portland Trail
Blazers forward Viktor Khryapa, who still plays in Russia, plus former
WNBA players Ilona Korstin and Svetlana Abrosimova.
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