Basketball veteran Nikita Morgunov headed the department in the RSE

A man of high stature (211 cm) and tallachievements, the main one being the victory at Eurobasket-2007, Mikrunov Nikita Leonidovich completed his playing career in favor of the appointment to the post of head of the department of the RSE (September 2016). The veteran of domestic basketball is 41 years old, 26 of which are given to professional sports.

How did it all start?

In the second most populous cityKemerovo region - Novokuznetsk, June 29, 1975 was born the future European champion. He stood out among his peers, but the parents did not hurry to give the guy to basketball. Mom did not want to see her son as a giant, so she preferred that he engage in athletics - decathlon. It all started from the moment when the team of athletes in the sports camp defeated the youth team of Novokuznetsk in basketball. In her composition Nikita Morgunov went to the tournament in Belgorod (1990), where he saw coach Mikhail Komissarov from Stavropol.

Having started studying at age 13, which is quite latefor this sport, the young man was not only tall, but also a strong physique. He perfectly sensed the game, stood out with dedication and efficiency, which forced Komissarov to go to Siberia in order to persuade his parents to let go of his son in the Academy of the Olympic Reserve. The visit turned out to be successful, and already at the age of 15, the promising basketball player started to play for the professional Aleko team (Stavropol).

The 90s

Players, whose formation fell on the 90-ies,grew up on the legendary victories of Soviet basketball. Nine times the team participated in the Olympics and nine times came with medals, including twice - with gold. Morgunov Nikita, playing the position of a heavy striker, had among them an idol, whose dream he dreamed of following. They were a talented long-liver in the sport Arvydas Sabonis, with whom fate brought the basketball player in the same team - Portland Trail Blazers. How did this happen?

After successful seasons with CSKA, with whomhe became a four-time champion of Russia, for the practice game athlete went to Lithuania ("Athletas"), where he was involved in the national team of the country. In her composition, Nikita Morgunov became the silver medalist of the World Cup, which was an outstanding achievement for the 23-year-old athlete, and in 1999 he was signed by the above-mentioned NBA club, where during training Morgunov managed to get acquainted with his idol.

True, in two years he did not have a singleofficial match for Portland Trail Blazers. In an interview he once admitted that overseas basketball is different in intensity and approach to the training process. But during his time at the club, he received an invaluable experience that helped him in his future career, and received the nickname that entrenched him - the White Tiger.

On the eve of the European Championships - 2007

Until 2008, Nikita Morgunov, basketball forwhich became the main business of life, was a regular member of the Russian national team. However, the main team of the country until 2007, there were no serious victories. At the continental championships and the 2000 Olympics, the national team could not overcome the quarterfinal barrier, and the best achievements remained: silver of the World Championship (1998), silver and bronze of the European Championship (1993, 1997). There was an impression that the new generation of players of the national team, the backbone of which was formed of players successfully playing for clubs in the 90s, will remain "lost". After 2005, the team was a lot of young guys - the winners of the 2005 European Youth Championship.

Morgunov crossed the thirty-year milestone, with eachthe year his chances of being invited to the national team became increasingly dubious. Having chosen the path of active game practice, he often changed clubs, signing contracts for one or two seasons. Having played a year in the Greek “Macedonikos”, since 2004 Nikita Morgunov played for Dynamo (Moscow region). Throughout 2005, he did not leave the front pages of the sports press, he was recognized as the best player of the month, but on the eve of the 2007 European Championships, the athlete was forced to miss almost the entire season due to injury. Nevertheless, technically skilled, possessing a long-range throw and great-reading basketball player received a traditional call to the main team of the country from the head coach David Blatt.

Contribution to victory

European Championships 2007 was held in Spainwhose team was the current world champion. The trainer was tasked to take at least third place in order to get a ticket to the Olympics in Beijing. The unexpected victory of the Russians in the final was such an important event that all the players and the coach were instantly awarded the title of Honored Master of Sports. In the championship there was a happy combination of many factors: the talent of the coach, the magnificent game of the leader Andrei Kirilenko and the psychological readiness of the team to fight. By the decision of the mentor, Nikita Morgunov played the centering position with Alexei Savrasenko, who does not have an adequate replacement.

Life has confirmed the correctness of this step. Even in the losing match in the group stage, it became obvious to Morgunov to neutralize one of the leaders of the Spanish team, Pau Gasol. The quarter-final game with the French, who beat out the Russians at the quarter-finals at the European Championships in 2003, became an important step. In it, Morgunov brought the team 14 points, making a definite contribution to overcoming the quarter-finals complex. In the decisive game for the 1st place, the Russians were once again confronted by Spain, only this time luck smiled for Blatt's wards. On account of Morgunov key ball in the end of the final.

Completion of career

Since 2008, in the domestic championship has beenVTB United League was created, in which many foreign players from other countries play. Only 50 Russians are in demand on the floor, which does not allow creating the necessary competition for a place in the national team. Without playing time, many of the heroes of the European Youth Championship 2005 were lost. Nikita Morgunov decided for himself to pursue a career in the Super League ("University - Ugra", "Spartak - Primorye"). In the second-tier games, he saw many talented players who could compete with renowned professionals. This forced him to take a principled stand on the need to limit the number of foreign players in the domestic championship of the country, without which, in his opinion, it is impossible to repeat the success of 2007.

In 2015, the RSE was headed by Andrei Kirilenko. It became obvious to all that experienced players truly dedicated to basketball would come to key positions. Proposing Morgunov to head the professional basketball department is a logical step for the President of the RBF. He was already thinking about the end of his career and tried himself in working with young people, was an expert on Match TV channel. Basketball player gladly accepted the appointment, allowing to realize the immense experience gained during his professional career.