"I would never describe myself as an ideal player"

Despite the international isolation, Russian 3x3 basketball tournaments are as competitive as international competitions. This opinion was expressed in an interview with Izvestia by Alexander Zuev, vice-champion of the Olympic Games 2020, two–time world champion (U-23). The Bionord Pro leader also spoke about his goals for 2025, explained the drop in his personal FIBA ranking and named his favorite players.

— It is symbolic that right before our conversation, I spent several hours at the Japanese consulate getting a visa. What are your memories of Tokyo?

— To be honest, they are mixed. The Olympics were held in the conditions of a pandemic, it was impossible to go anywhere. Only the Olympic village and the playground. That's why we didn't look at anything. I wanted to go to other competitions and support our guys, but there was a ban on entering the stands.

— And immediately after the tournament?

— It so happened that we won back, passed the doping test around 22:00, and at 23:40 we were already leaving for the airport.

— It turned out badly. I'll have to fly again on occasion.

— I agree.

— Let's move on to current topics. How would you rate the start of the new season for your team?

— So far, everything is going well. We won two rounds of the Russian championship, and there are two more to come. Plus, we previously won the Super Bowl, the Ural Cup, and the Red Square Cup. It's a shame that we couldn't compete for victory in the Chelyabinsk Region Governor's Cup, where there were many strong foreign teams. Injuries prevented it. Ilya Bogdanov broke down in the first game. There are three of us left (me, Mikhail Mamontov and Igor Burik). Then Pavel Morozov drove up. We didn't play well, but nevertheless we had every chance to beat the hosts in the quarterfinals. But in the decisive possessions, they did not act in the best way.

— But at the Red Square Cup we managed to win a beautiful victory over Inanomo in the final.

— Yes, it was the fourth tournament in Gostiny Dvor, and we participated in all of them, winning three times.

— Is this one of the most interesting locations you've played in?

— Absolutely. Plus, I like that it's a massive tournament. There are many playgrounds around where children's competitions are held. A very pleasant basketball atmosphere in the very center of Moscow for two days. A lot of people, especially children, come to the semifinals and finals of the main tournament. And these games are held with very cool support. It's cool that we have such a tournament.

— The Streetbasket Russia Association, together with the Moscow Sports Department, also holds the Moscow Open, a tournament that, one might say, started your career in 3x3 basketball. Is there always a special motivation for him too?

— Yes, since I started playing 3x3 basketball, we participate in the Moscow Open every year. It turns out that I also won it three times. It's a pity that we lost in the final last year. We will try to win in 2025. In general, Sergey Grunis and his team make very cool tournaments, we try not to miss them.

— What are the goals for 2025?

— Last year we finished second in the Russian Championship. This is the task of winning it and making the most of the tournaments that will be on the calendar.

— In the FIBA personal ranking, the Russians have fallen back to low places due to the international ban. Although at one time you were in the top 40. Do you follow this somehow?

— This rating doesn't really matter to us right now. FIBA divides tournaments into categories. For example, you can earn a lot of team and personal points at the Masters, and less at the Challenger. Our tournaments are held in the lowest category of FIBA, so the Russians cannot rise high in the ranking. Although our tournaments are strong. In terms of competition, they are no weaker than in the World Tour.

— There are currently three Serbs in the top 5 of the personal rating: Dejan Maestrovic, Strahinja Stojacic and Marko Brankovic. Are they really that cool?

— I would not say that they are individually stronger than many other guys. It's just that their team wins major tournaments more often and they get personal points. That is, a player of the 12th team can show high performance, but he will get fewer points than a basketball player from the winning team, who could not score at all.

"A little unfair?"

— In any team sport, the main thing is to win a tournament. Therefore, it is fair that the winners are awarded the most points. It is clear that depending on personal statistics, someone will get more rating points, someone less.

— Do you still have an interest in international tournaments?

— When there is an opportunity, I always keep an eye on it. For example, I recently watched the Challenger, where the Japanese beat the Serbs in the final. I also watched the basketball tournament at the 2024 Olympics. I won't say that I looked very closely, but I got hooked on the decisive matches.

— Has the competition in 3x3 basketball increased significantly during these few years of ban?

— Yes, there are even more decent teams now. There are many such original groups, with their own chips. But it's still hard to compare yourself with them. When we start playing with each other, we'll feel their level. Is there a difference in class, where are we going?

— Sometimes you have to play with foreign bands. I know that this year there will be tournaments with foreign teams.

— Usually they don't have the main trains. But all the same, the guys are good, they have proven themselves at the World Tour level. And if we talk about the same Serbs, then there are no bad players in 3x3 basketball.

— Starting from the 2028 Games, there will be 12 teams in 3x3 basketball, just like in classic basketball. A historic decision?

— The more teams, the better. That's always a plus. There will be more chances to get there. In Tokyo and Paris, eight tickets were distributed through wild cards (four) and through selection (four). Let's see what the new system will be like.

It is a pity that we are not allowed to participate in the international competitions yet, but if we have the opportunity to participate in the Olympic selection, we will have good chances.

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— Could you clarify this point?

— We have a very good championship. We are probably the only country that holds a domestic tournament at this level. The Streetbasket Association, the Russian Football Federation and several other organizations are doing everything in their power to maintain the level of our sport and some kind of development.

— In an interview in 2020, you said that you would like to improve your defense and physics. Over the years, can you say that you have become the perfect 3x3 basketball player?

— There is always something to strive for. I've become more experienced somewhere, but I would never call myself an ideal player. They don't even exist. Everyone makes mistakes.

— Could you highlight the top 5 of your favorite players?

— Let's focus only on the Russians?

- yes.

— Then I will name my partners for the 2020 Olympics: Stanislav Sharov, Ilya Karpenkov and Kirill Pisklov. I will single out Ilya Bogdanov and Igor Burik from my team, who is making great progress. I'll also mention Nikita Padun from Avtodor. He has returned from injury and is gaining momentum. It turned out to be a six, but this is not entirely objective. It is clear that everyone will single out their friends, those with whom they play. After all, we train together all the time, and I can see the guys' progress. Overall, there are a lot of strong players in our championship.

— Pisklov and Karpenkov play in the United League. Do you keep in touch with them?

— We correspond, but we don't see each other very often in person. Although Kirill [Pisklov] recently came to our games at a tournament in Yekaterinburg. We talked, and he cheered for us from the podium. Ilya Karpenko has visited Perm several times this season. It's a pity, but we couldn't see him.

— Do you follow the VTB League closely in general?

— Bionord is part of the Parma system. That's why we often attend the club's home games, and we try to support the guys. By the way, on April 19, Parma plays the decisive play-in match with the IBA (the winner will advance to the playoffs from eighth place). I really want to visit this game. I hope that due to the incredible support of the fans, Evgeny Pashutin's team will be able to beat the Moscow club.

— Molot has a special atmosphere at the matches.

— Yes, almost all basketball players in Russia say that Perm has the best fans. And I think anyone who has ever been to the Hammer understands that these are not just beautiful words.

— What is your most memorable trip to this arena?

— The biggest impressions from childhood. When we were very young, we went to Ural-Great. I don't remember exactly what the match was like, but there were so many people that people were sitting on the steps. Everything was packed. And so the match begins — and everyone present gets up and spends the whole game on their feet, constantly supporting their pets.

— Before switching to 3x3 basketball, you played for Khimki for quite a long time. We trained with the base when Alexey Shved, Sergey Monya, Tyler Honeycutt, Tyrese Rice, Marko Popovich played for the Moscow Region team. Were any of them your role models?

— No, I didn't have a role model as such. At the same time, I learned from such great masters. All the guys are adequate, they always gave advice. So I was having a good time.

— Do you continue to monitor the Moscow region team?

— I can't say that I watch all the matches, but this club is definitely not an empty word for me. There are a lot of acquaintances left there. The same Gleb Suvorov or Dmitry Korshakov. I wish the guys good luck in the semifinal series with CSKA-2.

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— What about the main talents from the Perm Region who are already on the way to the national team? Lev Svinin, Mikhail Dulkai, Ivan Egorov.

— It seems to me that basketball is developing well in the Perm Region right now. I haven't been to my native Berezniki for a long time, but I see that local teams are showing good results and are qualifying for the main tournaments of the country. Indeed, many students are in good standing now.

Bionord recently held a friendly match against the youth team of Parma, so that they could have game practice before the main matches of the season. Grigory Tuchkov played for us at a tournament in Yekaterinburg, which we eventually won. So we try to support each other.

— Are you interested in any kind of sports besides basketball?

— In childhood, my father and I played a lot of lawn and table tennis. Now that there is a break, we have a lot of work in the sand. We play beach volleyball, and sometimes we go to play soccer.

— What are your hobbies besides sports?

— Like everyone else. Go to the movies, be with your family. I can't tell you anything special.