"As soon as the IOC returns us, FIBA will react as quickly as possible"

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is closely linked with the IOC and will be guided by its decisions on the issue of the admission of our athletes to their competitions. This opinion was expressed by the president of the Russian Basketball Federation (RFB) Andrey Kirilenko in an interview with Izvestia. At the same time, he believes that in terms of lifting sports sanctions, "everything is moving towards a positive decision." Our most famous basketball player also told us whether he will watch the broadcasts of the 2026 Winter Olympics, whether he supports the sale of beer at stadiums, what stage the project to create a National Team Center is at, and whether Yegor Demin's career is developing correctly.

"Everyone decides for themselves whether to watch the Olympics or not"

— On December 11, 2025, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) lifted all restrictions on the participation of young athletes from Russia and Belarus in international competitions. What expectations do you have for this decision?

— So far, I have not seen a single team sport in which Russians or Belarusians would compete. I'll be glad to make a mistake. In fact, it is clear that there is a certain dynamic. From talking to my colleagues from different sports, I feel that everything is moving towards a positive decision. There are separate cases with individual athletes who participate in the Olympics, among others. We are all waiting for the final progress to take place.

But there will be another problem here, which goes deeper than just admission to the competition. Let's imagine that we were returned. The last European Championship was held in four countries: Cyprus, Finland, Poland, Latvia. The final part was in Riga. We would simply not have been allowed into the country — there would have been problems with the visa part and logistics. I'm more concerned about this now than just being allowed to participate in tournaments.

Although, of course, this is a priority. I've always said that without fully participating in competitions, you can't grow in sports. You have to play with foreign opponents. We need to be on the move. Yes, we organize friendly matches and tournaments, but this is not enough.

— So there were no new conversations with FIBA after the IOC decision?

— An IOC meeting will be held in mid-February, at which a preliminary decision will be made (on the admission of Russian athletes to international competitions. — Ed.). A meeting of the FIBA Central Bureau will be held at the end of April, where a resolution will be adopted. We do not know what exactly this decision will be, because FIBA is very seriously tied to the IOC and is fully integrated into its hierarchy. As soon as there are any indulgences and permits to bring us back, I am sure that FIBA will respond as quickly as possible.

— Earlier, the Euroleague reported that it was considering the possibility of expelling Israeli clubs. We decided to leave it after all. Did you have any dissonance in your head after such a decision?

— The world is unfair. There is no need to look for justice in it. I am against the exclusion of Israeli teams. They don't relate to politics in any way, the guys are just playing basketball. This is not a political story. I would also like our teams, like the Israeli ones, to play in Belgrade. But we don't play there. It's not a big deal. So we'll compete there another time.

— On January 21, it was announced that Okko streaming service acquired exclusive rights to show the Winter Games in Italy. Do you think it's worth showing the Olympics in Russia? And will you watch it?

— Everyone decides for themselves whether to watch the Olympics or not. I want to keep an eye on her. I'm interested in watching the Olympic Games, where the best athletes participate. Yes, there are a minimum of our athletes there, but I will still follow and cheer for those who are there, even if they are without a flag and anthem. What can you do? Unfortunately, these are the conditions now. I want to watch the best athletes in the world. But I won't insist.

13 friends of OI: details of Russian athletes' participation in the Olympics are being clarified

There is very little time left before the final announcement of the list of our neutrals in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

"I would like Demin to reach the level of Jordan or Bryant"

— The other day I talked with Vitaly Fridzon about Egor Demin. He stated that Egor "is capable of becoming a stable NBA player, reaching the size of Andrei Kirilenko." How would you comment on that?

— Why are you focusing on me? Maybe he'll reach Kobe Bryant's level. It will be higher. I would like him to reach the level of Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant.

— After all, you are the main figure in the history of Russian basketball...

— good. I would like him to be better and break all possible records. After all, this concerns not only the basketball part of his career in America, but it also affects the interests of the national team. If our national team has a great player at a great level, then it will be a huge plus for the whole team. Including for me, because I would like to have strong basketball players in our national team.

— How would you rate his first season?

— Great! You can't evaluate it otherwise. So far, everything is going on as usual. Everything is right. All the decisions he made before the draft — with his participation in university basketball, with his departure to the Spanish club system at the age of 15 — it all worked. And I think it's very cool.

— Many people say that so far he has been acting rationally and without mistakes in his athletic development.

— Egor himself is a very smart guy. I know him well and have been watching him since I was nine years old. When I first joined the federation, Egor was playing in my first Russian championship. It was immediately obvious that there was good potential. He played for 6-7 years in our competitions, and then, in 2021, he just decided to move to a Spanish club. He spent 1.5 years there and went to the American University.

He's been out of Russian basketball for three years, and it's great to see a guy who's been under my leadership for a long time enter the top ten of the draft. You start to feel inspired. Other people's children are growing up fast! And with Volodya (with Egor's father. We played against each other during my career. It's really nice to see his son's progress!

— How do you feel about the return of beer sales to stadiums?

— I see huge advantages in terms of financing. I don't drink beer in principle, so it's hard for me to say how much a person on the podium can benefit from it. It's difficult for me to evaluate the drink itself, but from the point of view of world practices, beer in stadiums is a normal story. You're watching the Champions League now, and there's beer everywhere. Again, I'm not a big fan and promoter of alcoholic beverages, but from the point of view of financing for clubs, this is a potential source of income.

— At what stage is the project to create a National Team Center?

— This is the flagship project of the Russian Federation, it is located in Vnukovo and is 85% completed. I think it will be finished by May and the interior decoration will begin. By the end of 2026, I am sure that we will enter there. So far, everything is going according to plan. We have established similar centers in Syktyvkar, Kaliningrad, Chelyabinsk and Izhevsk. Unfortunately, it was not possible to implement a similar project in Arkhangelsk.

The Izhevsk center is already tied to a location and has a project. Now the stage of inclusion in the budget is underway. It will still take some time. I think this whole project will be long—lasting - for the next ten years.