The Most Famous
BASKETBALL PLAYERS from Ukraine
This page contains a list of the greatest Ukrainian Basketball Players. The pantheon dataset contains 1,268 Basketball Players, 8 of which were born in Ukraine. This makes Ukraine the birth place of the 21st most number of Basketball Players behind Turkey and Georgia.
Top 8
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Ukrainian Basketball Players of all time. This list of famous Ukrainian Basketball Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Alexander Belostenny (1959 - 2010)
With an HPI of 41.68, Alexander Belostenny is the most famous Ukrainian Basketball Player. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages on wikipedia.
Alexander Mikhaylovich Belostenny (Ukrainian: Олександр Михайлович Білостінний, romanized: Oleksandr Mykhailovych Bilostinnyi; Russian: Александр Михайлович Белостенный; February 24, 1959 – May 25, 2010) was a Ukrainian professional basketball player. He was a member of the senior Soviet national team, from 1977 to 1992, except for an absence during a single competition, EuroBasket 1987. At a height of 2.16 m (7'0 1⁄4") tall, and a weight of 120 kg (260 lbs.), he played at the center position.
2. Anatoli Polivoda (1947 - 2024)
With an HPI of 40.29, Anatoli Polivoda is the 2nd most famous Ukrainian Basketball Player. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Anatoliy Ivanovych Polyvoda (Ukrainian: Анатолій Іванович Поливода; 29 May 1947 – 22 January 2024) was a Ukrainian basketball player who played for the Budivelnyk of Kyiv and the Soviet Union. He trained at VSS Avanhard in Kyiv. Polyvoda played in the Soviet team at the 1968 Olympic Games in which he won a bronze medal, and at the 1972 Olympic Games where he won a gold medal. Polyvoda died on 22 January 2024, at the age of 76. Of the Munich Olympic champion team, only Modestas Paulauskas and Ivan Edeshko are still living.
3. Victor Khryapa (1982 - )
With an HPI of 33.49, Victor Khryapa is the 3rd most famous Ukrainian Basketball Player. His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.
Victor Vladimirovich Khryapa (also trans. Viktor; Russian: Виктор Владимирович Хряпа; born August 3, 1982) is a Russian former professional basketball player who spent the majority of his career playing for CSKA Moscow of the VTB United League. A versatile forward standing at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m), he is a three-time All-EuroLeague selection and won the EuroLeague Best Defender award in 2010. A regular member of the senior Russian former national basketball team, he was instrumental in their triumph at the EuroBasket 2007, where they won the gold medal. He also won two bronze medals at the EuroBasket 2011 and at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
4. Kyrylo Fesenko (1986 - )
With an HPI of 29.39, Kyrylo Fesenko is the 4th most famous Ukrainian Basketball Player. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Kyrylo Anatoliyovych Fesenko (Ukrainian: Кирило Анатолійович Фесенко; born 24 December 1986) is a Ukrainian professional basketball player for Al-Nasr SC of the Libyan Division I Basketball League. Standing at 2.16 m (7 ft 1 in), he plays the center position. He wears a size 18 shoe and has a 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m) wingspan and 9 ft 4 in (2.84 m) standing reach (same standing reach as Greg Oden).
5. Alex Len (1993 - )
With an HPI of 29.04, Alex Len is the 5th most famous Ukrainian Basketball Player. His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.
Oleksii Yuriyovych Len (Ukrainian: Олексій Юрійович Лень; born June 16, 1993), commonly known as Alex Len (Ukrainian: Алекс Лень), is a Ukrainian professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before being drafted, he played two seasons for the Maryland Terrapins (then in the Atlantic Coast Conference) as well as a season with Dnipro.
6. Sergiy Gladyr (1988 - )
With an HPI of 28.85, Sergiy Gladyr is the 6th most famous Ukrainian Basketball Player. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Sergiy Gladyr (Ukrainian: Сергій Гладир; born 17 October 1988) is a Ukrainian former professional basketball player. He was selected with the 49th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2009 NBA draft.
7. Oleksiy Pecherov (1985 - )
With an HPI of 25.67, Oleksiy Pecherov is the 7th most famous Ukrainian Basketball Player. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Oleksiy Ivanovych Pecherov (Ukrainian: Олексій Іванович Печеров; born 8 December 1985) is a Ukrainian former professional basketball player. He was also a member of the Ukraine national basketball team.
8. Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (1997 - )
With an HPI of 21.18, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk is the 8th most famous Ukrainian Basketball Player. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Sviatoslav "Svi" Yuriyovych Mykhailiuk (Ukrainian: Святосла́в Ю́рійович Михайлю́к, pronounced [swjɐtoˈslɑu̯ mɪxɐjˈlʲuk]; born June 10, 1997) is a Ukrainian professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks and prior to that, he played for Cherkaski Mavpy in the Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague from 2012 to 2014 and for the Ukraine national team at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
Pantheon has 8 people classified as basketball players born between 1947 and 1997. Of these 8, 6 (75.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living basketball players include Victor Khryapa, Kyrylo Fesenko, and Alex Len. The most famous deceased basketball players include Alexander Belostenny and Anatoli Polivoda. As of April 2022, 2 new basketball players have been added to Pantheon including Anatoli Polivoda and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk.
Living Basketball Players
Go to all Rankings
Victor Khryapa
1982 - Present
HPI: 33.49
Kyrylo Fesenko
1986 - Present
HPI: 29.39
Alex Len
1993 - Present
HPI: 29.04
Sergiy Gladyr
1988 - Present
HPI: 28.85
Oleksiy Pecherov
1985 - Present
HPI: 25.67
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk
1997 - Present
HPI: 21.18
