Kyiv Bulls to Take on NBA Pros 

But precisely this rarest of events took place on July 9. The newborn Kyiv BK (byk is bull in Ukrainian - Ed.) basketball club played the Ukrainian national team. And, although only six of Volodymyr Ryzhov's protОgОs were on the court, the expertise of Yevstratenko, Bazylevsky, Yailo, Lokhmanchuk, Uspensky, and Ryzhov Jr. played the decisive role. They won, but the defeated did not look at all look battered.

"Everything is OK," Oleksandr Volkov, the Kyiv BK coach, told The Day. "Our club played after only five practices, and the players have not yet got used to each other, but this will come with time."

The next day, Volkov and his boys set off to America. There they will participate in a most interesting tournament, a virtual NBA mini-championship, the so-called FILA summer professional league. The Kyivans' opponents will be the US student national team, the national squad of Mexico, and the NBA select team of free agents.

We think the Kyivans will put on a good show, for among them are such promising basketball players as Stanislav Medvedenko, Hryhory Khyzhniak, and Oleh Yushkin. It is worth noting that in America the team will take in an outstanding rookie, American Curtis Maccants. This 23-year-old athlete has been playing for Tel-Aviv's Hapoel in the past two years and scoring over 20 points on average in each game, with five passes resulting in goals.

"Oleksandr, what are your club's plans for next season?"

"On September 15, we start in the Korac Cup, and will take part in the Northern League next year."

Incidentally, there was a Korac Cup draw last weekend. Kyiv BK will play AZOT-Rustavi from Tbilisi, Georgia.