Alexander Yakovlevich Gomelsky was born 90 years ago today. The legendary coach made basketball his calling and earned a spot in the pantheon of basketball greats.
Under Gomelsky, the USSR national team were 1988 Olympic champions, two-time world champions (1967 and 1982) and seven-time European champions (1961, 1963, 1965, 1967, 1979, 1981).
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995 and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007. Gomelsky also received many honors and medals, including the Olympic Silver Order in 1998 from IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch.
Gomelsky served as CSKA head coach for 22 seasons. During his tenure, CSKA won 16 USSR titles, three USSR Cups and the 1971 European Champions Cup!
Gomelsky later became president of BC CSKA and was elected the first president of the Russian Basketball Federation.
Alexander Yakovlevich Gomelsky is celebrated and remembered to this day. The trophy for EuroLeague Coach of the Year is named in his honor.
League president Sergey Kushchenko:
– Alexander Gomelsky was not only a legendary coach; he also had a wonderful way with people. He knew how to draw people to himself and create a shared vision. He always knew what to say even in the most difficult moments.
In 2005, we suffered a nightmare defeat in the EuroLeague Final Four. It felt like the CSKA project as we knew it might cease to exist. It was a difficult process and very tough situation. In the middle of the night, I got a call: “Come over!” I went to visit Gomelsky and he sat me down in his kitchen. By three or four in the morning, I had an understanding of how to win. We didn’t talk about basketball. We talked about family, women, life… Not a single word about the game. He explained other things to me that would help us to reach our goals. One year later, we won the EuroLeague, but Papa didn’t live to see it. The knowledge that we were too late for him still pains me. After the win, we covered Moscow in banners that said “We won, Papa!” That’s because we won for everyone, of course, but above all for him.
Match TV on Alexander Gomelsky
