The VTB League traditionally All-Star weekend was opened by the Friends Game, with Sergey Kushchenko team facing Ilona Korstin team at the VTB Arena.
The Friends Game ended with the score 79:77, the League President Sergey Kushchenko team took the win. Viktor Khryapa was named MVP of the winning team. The best player of the second team was Sergey Monya.
European champion and Russian champion Nikolay Padius, VTB United League Hall of Fame member Sergey Monya and RBF Executive Director Vladimir Diachok took part in the Friends Game as part of Ilona Korstin team. Sergey Kushchenko team included: European champion Sergey Bykov, Lokomotiv Kuban President and head coach Andrei Vedischev, VTB United League champion Egor Vialtsev, MBA General Director Igor Kocharyan, ASB Executive Director Sergey Kryukov, Russian champion Alexey Savrasenko and Olympics bronze medalist Viktor Khryapa.
Sergey Kushchenko, VTB United League President:
– The ideology and philosophy of the Friends Game is to test what should work at the All-Star Game tomorrow. Tonight’s game differs from previous in first-class basketball stars, who represented both teams. Here are our longtime partners and sponsors, our famous basketball players, as well who have played in the VTB League for many, many years. They became stars, champions, represented Russia at European competitions and the Olympics. I am very happy about that! The Friends Game is a cool friendly event, from which you get a basketball high. This atmosphere is our constant, we hold on to it. It’s nice that our kids grow up at Friends Games and even participate in them.
Ilona Korstin, VTB United League General Director:
– The most important thing about the Friends Game is the feeling that we are kicking off. The All-Star Game is a very important and iconic event for the League. This year we are organising it for the 9th time, for me it is like a personal child that grows, develops, we make it better and constantly come up with something new.
On the one hand, it’s the Friends Game, and on the other hand it’s the game where we test everything – the floor, rims, locker rooms, benches. If there are any problems, we have some time to fix it. This is also an opportunity for our friends to visit this floor, play with basketball legends, get unforgettable emotions, feel a part of the All-Star Game.
Already tomorrow our main stars will be here – playing on the same floor, scoring in the same rims with the same basketballs!
