The President of the Russian Basketball Federation talks about the Russian national team, Yegor Demin, and potential inclusion in the “list of greats.”

He was recently asked about Egor:

— Ilona Korstin recently said that the VTB League is waiting for Egor Demin. How did you react to this?
— I would like him to stay in the States, of course. First of all, I would like to see him in the NBA , to see him there for as long as possible. The NBA is the strongest league today. I would really like Egor to succeed in the NCAA , and his next step is the NBA . The main thing is for him to play. If he plays in the NBA , then, of course, that's great. If he doesn't get playing time there, then, of course, it's better to play here. It's very simple. And in fact, even now, looking at the game of our national team, I notice a very interesting thing for myself: we have a decent and interesting team, a lot of young guys, talented and, apparently, with a bright mind, but they all seem to be second numbers.

Not by position, but as if they are playing along. There is a missing figure that would accelerate this team. I am sure that the other guys will immediately pick up this atmosphere, this game. A hypothetical Alexey Shved could complement it. And Yegor Demin , for example, could be such a motor for this team, a missing detail. We have never seen a guy from Russia who could be drafted in the top five based on his talent. Of course, this is a new experience for all of us, and we want to see the maximum that Yegor can squeeze out of this.