"Unfortunately, I have to watch basketball for several hours a day"

Timofey Mozgov, winner of the 2012 Olympics and Eurobasket 2011, 2015/16 NBA champion with Cleveland, took part in the All-Russian Forum-exhibition "Sport, Sport, Sport". He made a presentation on "The pyramid of preparation: from the first step to the national team" at the section dedicated to the development of youth sports. At the end of the speech, Mozgov answered questions from Izvestia and Sport-Express.

"Vembanyama is a truly unique player"

— Timofey, you are now a playing coach in media basketball. Tell me, what has changed in your life?

— You know, it's become more difficult. There wasn't enough time for anything, and now there's even less time. Of course, I've always loved basketball, but if you remember my early interviews, I've always said that I love playing it, not watching it. As a result, I have to watch games for several hours a day, unfortunately (laughs). Well, what can you not do for the sake of the team!

— So basketball takes up as much time in your life now as it did during your playing career?

— Less than before. But if during my playing years I was directly involved in basketball as an athlete, now I travel a lot to various events, training sessions, conduct and support children's workshops. In general, I see basketball from a slightly different perspective.

— Your former Cleveland team has qualified for the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since LeBron James, where they will play New York. Do you follow them?

— In general, I don't follow the NBA so closely anymore. Of course, I wanted Cleveland to make it to the finals again, but the Knicks got past Philadelphia too easily. Therefore, the chances are at least equal. If we talk about the favorites, I think San Antonio will become the champion.

— So there are no weapons against Victor Vembanyama?

"Not that there isn't. Listen, there's always an injury factor in sports, like knee or ankle problems. But seriously, he's a really unique player. Defending yourself against him is extremely difficult. At the same time, it is important to understand that Viktor is not the only one playing for the team. Despite the fact that a whole generation has passed — Duncan, Ginobili and Parker are no longer there — the team still adheres to the style that San Antonio was famous for under Gregg Popovich. They move the ball, they play as a team. It is very important.

— I attended several events with your participation, and you were announced as the only NBA champion from Russia.

— Yes, there is such a moment. I'm not really interrupting anyone anymore, but there's Sasha Kaun. Despite the fact that he did not participate in the playoff games that season, nevertheless, he has a championship ring, and we should not forget about it.

— Do you maintain a relationship with anyone from that Cavaliers squad?

— I don't keep in touch with anyone anymore, but I keep in touch with Sasha Kaun. A good old friend. Sasha is a man with a huge heart, and this is important to note. I know he won't see it, but I'll say it anyway: I really appreciate him.

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"Sports should be run by those who care about them"

— Do you follow the semifinals of the United League?

— I was supposed to go to the second match of the CSKA –Loko series, but in the end I ended up at the Super League final: Khimki vs CHBK. We won that match — I support Khimki.

— Can they return to the fight from 1-3 in the series?

- of course. They can't just come back.

— And who, in your opinion, will play in the VTB League finals?

— There will be a repeat of last year's CSKA —Zenit final.

— Do you follow the relatively young players who want to leave for the USA? For example, for Yelatontsev, Ishchenko, Firsov. How do you rate them?

— It's hard to give an assessment — I've hardly seen them in official games. But the very desire to get into the strongest basketball environment, where the strongest players are gathered, is definitely a plus. This experience definitely won't make them feel any worse. Plus they can always come back. For now, American basketball remains the strongest in the world, so going there to compete and learn from the best is worthy.

— A couple of weeks ago, the news came out: the Russian national 3x3 basketball teams (U-23) were allowed to participate in FIBA tournaments this summer. Is this a good sign, or is it too early to be happy?

— This is generally a good sign, although the logic of such decisions is not completely clear to me. It is not very clear why some athletes are considered more worthy than others, and who makes these decisions. It is unclear on what basis the choice is made in favor of one age category and only in 3x3 basketball. But anyway: at least something. We have to accept this, we have to work, we have to go and prove that, despite all the difficulties, we are ready to perform on the international stage.

— Your national team partner Vitaly Fridzon is the playing president of Desna, and the Bryansk team is about to join the Super League. Do you have any desire to follow his path?

— Vitaly Valerievich commands great respect, but I think it's time for him to focus on other issues. Most likely, he will no longer play in the Super League, but will focus on a managerial position. We wish him good luck! I'm a long way from that.

— Two more — Sergey Monya and Viktor Khryapa — hold high positions in the Russian Basketball Federation. How do you feel about this?

— It is very good that basketball players are moving to managerial positions. These guys have worked their way up from the very bottom, from yard basketball to the national team and Olympic medals, to winning the Eurobasket. They know basketball from the inside, they understand how everything works. It is important that sports management has people who are genuinely concerned about its future.