Sergei Belov
From Hoopedia
Sergei Alexandrovich Belov (Russian: Сергей Александрович Белов; born January 23, 1944 in the village of Nashchyokovo, now in Shegarsky District, Tomsk Oblast) is a former basketball player, most notably playing for the Soviet Union at the Olympic Games. He trained at Trud Voluntary Sports Society and later at Armed Forces sports society. Some called him "the Jerry West of Russia."
At the age of twenty, he made his debut for Uralmash Sverdlovsk (1964-67). He then played for CSKA Moscow for twelve years, becoming the USSR Champion eleven times, Euroleague Champion twice (1969, 1971) and Euroleague finalist twice (1970, 1973). His team won the Spartakiade Games championship three times (1971, 1975, 1979).
Belov was also a member of the Soviet national team for fourteen years (1967-80). He helped them win a gold medal (1972) and three bronze medals (1968, 1976, 1980) at the Olympic Games, win the FIBA World Championship in 1967 and 1974 and European Championship in 1967, 1969, 1971 and 1979. He was a member of the the Soviet team that won the silver medal at the 1972 William Jones Cup.
In the period 1993-98 he was President of the Russian Basketball Federation.
In 1968 he became an Honoured Master of Sports of the USSR. Later he became an Honoured Coach of Russia (1995). Belov is considered to be one of the best basketball players of all time from outside the United States. In 1991 FIBA named him the "Best European Player Ever". He was part of the inaugural class to be inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.
He was the first international player to be inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on May 11, 1992.
