Timofey Mozgov is a Russian professional basketball player, champion of the American NBA League. As a member of the Russian national team, he won bronze medals at the 2011 European Championship and the 2012 Olympic Games.

Timofey was born in St. Petersburg in the family of former professional handball player Pavel Mozgov. The boy became the fourth child in the family, and the tallest of the brothers. His height predetermined the boy’s sports biography. Parents taught their sons to play sports from an early age, and when Timofey went to school, scouts from the Admiralty Sports and Youth Sports School noticed him there and invited him to the basketball section.

When Tim was 10 years old, the family moved to the Republic of Adygea, to the village of Enem. In this place, the boy continued to play sports, but soon outgrew this level and began to travel daily to the Krasnodar region for classes with coach Evgeniy Lysenko. A few years later, a competent teacher told Mozgov that if he wanted to achieve results in basketball, then he needed to go to the capital’s team.

At the age of 16, Timofey returned to St. Petersburg on his own and began training at a basketball boarding school. At the youth level, Mozgov played for CSKA-VVS and Khimki, and then made his debut in the Moscow region team at the professional level.

Basketball

Timofey Mozgov played for Khimki for four seasons. In the 2008/2009 season, he was appointed as a center player at the EuroCup, where he impressed the judges and fans and received the unofficial title of the main opening of the competition.

At the same time, at the Russian national championship, Mozgov became the most progressive player. In the summer of 2010, the young athlete, whose height reached 216 cm and weight 120 kg, signed a contract with the American club New York Knicks and became the seventh Russian to enter the NBA.

The basketball player played well, but the team itself was unstable. The management decided to attract star athletes, and the Denver Nuggets club demanded Timofey Mozgov in exchange for one of them. Thus, without spending even six months in New York, Timofey moved to Colorado.

Initially, the Russian was considered only as the fourth center player in the new club. Plus, an annoying ankle injury interfered with the adaptation process. Only after a couple of seasons, Timofey became a replacement for the main center and began to show high-quality play, increasing the club’s statistics. Mozgov was good in the 2013/14 season, when he managed to set a personal record for rebounds and exceed the achievements of previous Russians in the NBA. Thanks to this, the athlete achieved what he dreamed of - he became the main player in the team.

In January 2015, Timofey Mozgov again changed his registration - he moved to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Coach David Blatt, who was familiar with the player’s capabilities, since he had previously led the Russian national team, wanted to see the athlete there. From the very first matches, Timofey took a place in the starting five and helped the Cavaliers’ defense, considered the worst in the league, transform beyond recognition.

Together with the club, Mozgov reached the NBA Finals and became the first Russian to become the champion of the American Basketball Association.

At the end of the last championship, Timofey moved to the Los Angeles Lakers team and again broke the record of his fellow basketball players in America: Mozgov now became the highest paid Russian in the NBA. Over the next four years, the Lakers, according to the agreement, had to pay the St. Petersburger $64 million, that is, $16 million per year. For comparison: at the Cleveland Cavaliers, Mozgov’s annual salary was $4.65 million.

Personal life

Having barely had time to move to the Denver Nuggets club from Colorado, Timofey Mozgov married Alla Pirshina. The lovers were planning to organize a traditional wedding, but due to the short period of time between basketball training camps, they did not have time to complete the necessary documents.

In order not to delay the celebration for six months, Timofey and Alla simply got married in one of the many chapels in Las Vegas. And almost a year later, the family expanded: his wife gave the basketball player their first child, son Alexei, on January 25, 2012.

Timofey is a big fan of sports cars; the athlete also loves to watch races and rallies. In addition, refuting the opinion that athletes are uneducated, Mozgov reads a lot of fiction, so friends and acquaintances speak of the basketball player as an interesting interlocutor.

It is also worth adding that the Russian does not forget about his hometown and the contribution that children’s sports made for him. In St. Petersburg in 2011, Timofey Mozgov organized a tournament for young basketball players called “Mozgov CUP”, which has now received annual status.

Mozgov held the first competition between children's clubs, one of which was Timofey's native Admiralty Sports School for Youth and Youth Sports School. A year later, sports institutions from Monchegorsk, Veliky Novgorod, Cherepovets, Velsk and Vyborg were added to St. Petersburg schools, which made it possible to organize two cups in a row. Among the awards of the competition were a cup, medals and basketballs with the inscription TM 25. It was under this number that Mozgov earned his reputation in the NBA Denver club. The best player of the tournament was awarded a jersey autographed by the basketball player.

Timofey Mozgov records his achievements in the microblog “ Instagram", where photos of both sports competitions and family photographs and videos appear.

Mozgov also showed himself on Russian television. In the sitcom “Happy Together,” the basketball player appeared in a cameo role. The athlete also appeared on the “Evening Urgant” program several times. In an episode of the comedy show “Yuzhnoye Butovo” he appeared as a guest celebrity.

Timofey Mozgov now

In 2017, Mozgov was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. In October, in Brooklyn, a match took place between Timofey’s new team and the Cavaliers club, in which Mozgov had previously played. Before the competition, Timofey hugged his opponent and former colleague, basketball star LeBron James, a multiple NBA champion. Just a year ago, Cleveland athletes participated together in the NBA championship match against the Golden State team.

In the same year, Timofey performed as a member of the Russian national team and participated in the European Championship. Russia's last entry to EuroBasket was in 2015, but then the national team did not even make it to the playoffs. Having received a five-year disqualification from FIBA, the team managed to regain the opportunity to compete at the next championship.

In 2017, the team, where Timofey played in the central position, managed to show itself with dignity. After going through four matches of the preliminary round, the Russian team fought with Croatia and won with a score of 101:78. In the quarterfinals, the Russians' opponents were the Greeks, but they also managed to beat them with a score of 74:69. And only in the semi-finals did the Russian team lose to Serbia, which did not prevent them from reaching the final and fighting with the Spanish team for third place. Russia lost, but Alexey Shved became the best player of EuroBasket in terms of points.

Now Timofey Mozgov plays for the Brooklyn team. But in recent months, there has been a tendency among the club’s coaching staff to keep the Russian player on the bench. At the same time, the team won both in Orlando and Miami. In the match with the Charlotte team (North Carolina), Mozgov was also not used. According to Maxim Sharifyanov, the basketball player’s representative, after such ignoring of the Russian player, Timofey himself refused to participate in the last five games of the 2018 season.

Awards

• 2011 – bronze medal at the European Championships in Lithuania
• 2012 – bronze medal at the London Olympics
• 2016 – NBA champion

On the first day of the national team’s training camp for the matches of the third qualifying window for the World Cup, the Russian center Timofey Mozgov traded from Brooklyn to Charlotte. The news is not the kind of “hurray, hurray, it finally happened.” Actually, this was clear from the face of Timofey, who found out this right before the lesson and was, to put it mildly, confused.

Yes, he didn't get the playing time he wanted with the Nets. Yes, this is a transition to the Hornets, where all processes are now managed by MitchKapchak, who wrote him 64 million for 4 years. But no one guaranteed our guy any role, much less minutes of playing time.

Jordan needs Mozgov, not Superman

They agreed to trade Timofey Mozgov to Charlotte a few hours before the start of the national team’s first training session.

The most unpleasant thing happened: Mozgov was traded again. A club owned by the legendary Michael Jordan, pulled off an exchange involving Orlando and Chicago. As a result, Mozgov was sent to the Magic, and the center followed in the opposite direction Bismack Biyombo with a slightly higher salary and a good rating among basketball players in their role with Mozgovy.

Orlando doesn't want to overburden its payroll. That's why they didn't sign a contract with Isaiah Thomas, and as a result of the same tripartite deal they received a defender Jerian Grant with a salary of 2.7 million for the next season and 3.8 million for the 2019-20 season. Even the difference in salaries between Mozgov and Biyombo (less than $1.5 million) was saved by the Florida team.
The payroll of our center's new team is currently in 22nd place out of 30 clubs. And this despite the fact that in last place are the Lakers, who will absolutely rise to the top of the rich list after signing LeBron and the rest of the newcomers.

The Great Migration of Talent. LeBron is moving to the West

After 15 seasons with Cleveland and Miami, one of the greatest basketball players in history is joining the Lakers.

Mozgov’s contract for 16 million, unfortunately, plays against the Russian. General managers understand that in the new formation of the game it is extremely difficult for Timofey to find a role on the floor that is adequate to his salary. This means his contract will be a financial burden for all clubs. Including Orlando, where he immediately became one of the most expensive players, only a million behind the 17 million Frenchman in the money race Evan Fournier, against whom I recently fought in Krasnodar.

The desire to save money in the NBA almost always means a lack of ambition to even make the playoffs. The club is in deep restructuring mode, and the main star Nikola Vucevic is in the final year of his contract and will likely leave the club during the season.

Mozgov's contract for 16 million plays against the Russian. General managers understand that in the new formation of the game it is extremely difficult for Timofey to find a role on the floor that is adequate to his salary.

If our guy in the strongest league in the world still starts the season in Orlando, then it is far from a fact that his playing time will change much. Frankly speaking, he will have to fight for a place, but his salary will subconsciously (or consciously) favor less “rich” competitors. Especially it concerns Mohamed Bamba, selected today in the draft and immediately received a 5-year contract.

In the matches of the national team, Tima proved that he is capable of high-quality defense and attack, even against such a master of defensive play as Rudy Gobert. It was striking how in three matches (against Latvia, Belgium and France) he progressed and I wanted this process not to stop. Obviously he missed the game. He has been in the NBA for a couple of seasons now, moving around and sitting on the bench. I really want the new club to give him a chance and playing time. And for some reason I believe that he will definitely use it.

Timofey Mozgov was born in 1986 in Leningrad. Bronze medalist of the European Championship and the 2012 Olympics. He played for Khimki. In 2010, he signed a contract with the New York Knicks for 3 years. In February 2011, he transferred to the Denver Nuggets in an exchange. This year he set an NBA season record for the most rebounds in a game (29 successful rebounds).

Denver center Timofey Mozgov had his best season in the NBA and returned to Russia to join the team fighting for a ticket to the European Championship.

Timofey Mozgov: Everyone knows that tall players develop later than average height basketball players. I think I'm only now, at 28, starting to understand how to use my body. Hence the good results this year. However, I feel I can add more - 15-20 percent. My 216 cm height still has reserves. (Laughs.)

Dmitry Grantsev, AiF: You played four seasons in America. You probably don’t feel any discomfort from life overseas?

“I can probably get used to anything, especially since I have a family next to me.” My son is already 2.5 years old. It’s very interesting to be with him - he absorbs everything like a sponge... But I still miss home. It's not about cabbage soup or borscht. This can be managed without any problems in America. We miss spiritual gatherings with friends, our nature. It was probably only after I left that I realized how much I love Russia. There are no such people, such open spaces anywhere else.

Sometimes Timofey can also feel “small”, although his height is 216 cm and his shoe size is 52. During the summer preparation for the season in the USA with one of the training camp participants. Photo: From personal archive

— Experts recently calculated that the NBA is the highest paid league in the world (the average player’s salary per year is $5 million). The coolness of American basketball is its finances?

— Of course, not in finances, although everything revolves around them. It’s just that all the best in our sport today is collected here - specialists, players, methods, infrastructure... And the fact that they also pay a lot of money is doubly pleasant. (Laughs.)

— Only three of our basketball players were able to play more than three seasons overseas: you, Kirilenko and Khryapa. Why? Are Russian players not at the NBA level or do they not really want to see us in America?

— It’s clear that Americans are more interested in watching their compatriots than watching foreign players from Spain, Serbia, Russia, etc. But if they didn’t want to see us here, they wouldn’t invite the same Swede or Karaseva(see infographic. - Ed.). It’s just that in order to gain a foothold in the NBA, you need to prove yourself from the best side, to stand head and shoulders above the locals. Reasoning: “I’m Russian, and that’s why they won’t let me onto the playground,” is a road to nowhere. I personally understood one thing: if you don’t play much, go and train! Work hard to prove that you are worthy of taking a place on the court.

Game without Blatt

— By the way, how do you like our team’s performance at the World Cup? Aren't you surprised that the Russians, led by the highest paid coach, showed much worse results than tiny and poor Costa Rica?

— People play, not money. If the players are determined to win, they will bleed! And when this is not the case, your destiny is to leave the tournament ingloriously. Therefore, I don’t see it strange that in Brazil the favorites pampered with money and attention - the Spaniards, Italians, Portuguese, and English - showed nothing. Well, we are with them for company.

And about Capello, on whom cones are now falling... I think this: if you have already signed a contract with the Italian, then give the coach the opportunity to work. There is no such thing as everything at once. Hesitation with resignations in sports does not lead to anything good. Let's take basketball. David Blatt(American coach - Ed.) led our team for almost 7 years. And we achieved a lot with him - we won the European Championship, bronze at the London Olympics... And suddenly they just took Blatt and didn’t re-sign the contract! In my opinion, this is not even nonsense, but something worse. The team immediately began to feel feverish, which affected the result.

And what Russian doesn’t like driving fast! Timofey Mozgov's hobby is supercars. They are fast and comfortable. But not all of them can “accept” his 216 cm... Photo: From personal archive

“It affected the result” is an understatement. The Russian team frankly failed at the last European Championship.

— It’s difficult for me to say anything here. For a number of reasons, I was unable to help the team last year. But now I will do my best, I will fight for the team to the last.

— But Viktor Khryapa claims that the reason for that failure is a complete mess in the federation, the national team coach was appointed at the last moment, players were recruited to the team in a hurry...

- Yes... I agree with Victor. This is one of the reasons.

— So what’s left of Blatt’s glorious team is nothing? Are basketball players in the same group of losers as football players?

- Let's not go to extremes. The process of forming a new team is currently underway. Guides us Russian coach Evgeny Pashutin, who, it seems to me, is ready to plow. Another thing is that the efforts of individual people to return the national team to its former positions are not enough. Success is possible only if we work together - the players, the coaching staff, and the officials.

Friends among strangers

— We started the conversation with America, which is crazy about basketball. In Russia, this sport is clearly not in the spotlight. What needs to be done to make basketball popular again? And is it necessary to do anything at all?

A happy family during the days when its head is at home. With the birth of his son Alexei, Timofey, by his own admission, became more responsible and mature. This is confirmed by his wife, Alla. Photo: From personal archive

“If we leave everything to chance, then our basketball can be sent to the cemetery.” Something definitely needs to be done! And we need to start with regular schools. Physical education teachers should try to convey to children the beauty of the game and interest them. This will become the basis for the development of basketball in the country.

— The base is good. But what about the dominance of foreigners on Russian basketball courts? After all, in our basketball the limit on foreign players was recently lifted. Isn't this a problem?

- Trouble... This decision needs to be rethought. Restriction is necessary. How do I see him? Let’s say that there can only be no more than four foreign players in the club, and no more than two on the court. I'm sure there are other options. In any case, it is necessary that our young guys have the opportunity to show themselves.

— By the way, Serbia or Lithuania, for financial reasons, cannot afford expensive foreign players. And this only benefits them from the point of view of training their own basketball personnel. Maybe excess money is the problem of our sport? Not only basketball, but also football and hockey?

- I think this is partly true. But, you know, it seems to me that due to the current economic situation in the country, these surpluses will clearly decrease. There simply won’t be enough money for purchases by mediocre foreigners. And then the clubs will finally be faced with the task of growing their talents.

Timofey Mozgov (basketball player, whose height is 216 cm) is a Russian professional basketball player who plays for the Brooklyn Nets club of the National Basketball Association. He plays as a center. In 2016, Timofey Mozgov became the NBA champion as part of the Cleveland Cavaliers club, where his compatriot Alexander Kanu played. The guys became one of the first Russian basketball players to win the NBA. As a member of the Russian national team, Mozgov won a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and at the EuroBasket 2011 tournament. Timofey Mozgov's height and weight are 216 centimeters and 125 kilograms, respectively. The Russian is one of the biggest players in the National Basketball Association.

Biography: early career, family, growth

Timofey Mozgov was born on July 16, 1986 in Leningrad, USSR (RSFSR). In the Mozgov family, all the men have always been large and tall (Timofey is the fourth son). His father is a former professional handball player who once played for SKA. At the age of fourteen, Timofey Mozgov’s height was already a record in his pedigree - the guy exceeded two meters. During his school years, he was advised to start playing basketball, which he subsequently did. Over the years he became stronger and stronger, and still continued to grow. Higher and higher. As a result, Timofey Mozgov’s height reached 2 meters and 16 centimeters, and his weight, in turn, was more than 120 kilograms.

Professional career

Timofey Mozgov began his professional career with the Khimki club in 2006. In his debut season, the player took part in only 13 matches of the national championship. The player received too little game practice, so he spent most of his time as a backup or reserve player. In the 2007/08 season, Timofey began to appear frequently in the starting lineup, but still belonged to the Khimki-2 team. When a new coach, Italian Sergio Scariolo, came to the team, Mozgov began to receive regular playing practice in the first team.

In a match against the Turkish Besiktas in the European Cup, Myatsey Lampe (Khimki center) received a serious injury, as a result of which he had to leave the field. The head coach had to decide who to put on the field. The choice fell on young Timofey Mozgov. In the 11 remaining minutes of the game, he made 8 rebounds and scored 8 points, surprising the entire basketball community. In subsequent matches, the newcomer made double-doubles, and in the match against “Panellinios” he scored 23 points, which at that time became a record in his career. Ultimately, Mozgov became the main center of Khimki, completely displacing the Polish basketball player Myacei Lampe. Mozgov has repeatedly received awards as the most valuable player of the tour and the month of the Eurocup. Based on the results of the season, he was recognized as the most progressive basketball player in Russia.

Soon, eminent European and American clubs began to follow the Russian, trying to lure him to play in their championship. The professional growth of Timofey Mozgov was simply incredible, and in just a few seasons. Some experts and journalists compared him to such legendary centers as Shaquille O'Neal and Bill Russell.

Career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a member of the New York Knicks

In 2010, Timofey signed a three-year deal worth almost $10 million with the New York Knicks. In January 2011, the Russian performed a truly heroic act: in a match against the Detroit Pistons, he came off the bench and turned the tide of the game in the opposite direction (scoring 23 points and making 14 rebounds), leading the Knicks to a victory with a score of 124-105. During the match, American fans from New York loudly chanted: “Brains! Brains!”, enjoying his game.

Career with the Denver Nuggets

In February 2011, Timofey was sold to the Denver Nuggets. As a result, the Russian played for the club until 2014. During that time period, Mozgov recorded career highs in points and rebounds: 23 and 29, respectively, in a 100-99 win over the Golden State Warriors.

On January 7, 2015, Timofey Mozgov was purchased by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Here, the Russian quickly adapted and took a place in the team as a center. During the season, Mozgov showed excellent results, he constantly made a large number of useful actions and helped the team achieve the required points. On June 4, 2015, he became the first Russian in the NBA finals, when the Cavaliers lost to the Golden State team.

Ahead of the next season, the Cavaliers management exercised the option to extend Mozgov's contract for another season, for which they paid almost $5 million. In 2016, the team again reached the finals of the National Basketball Association, where Golden State again awaited them. This time, luck was on the side of Timofey Mozgov and the “Cavaliers” - a 4:3 victory on aggregate in seven meetings.

Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets

On July 8, 2016, Timofey signed a four-year contract with the LA Lakers for $64 million. However, the Russian failed to play for the new club, and already in June of the following year he was sold to the Brooklyn Nets.

For the wife of basketball player Timofey Mozgov, Alla, it is always important to remain a woman. As a child, when they asked his brother, he answered that he wanted to become president, but she simply said - I want to be a woman. The wife of a famous basketball player in Russia and overseas told one weekly magazine that the most important thing in life for her also revealed several secrets about the life of her husband.

“Timofey shocked my family with his height”

Alla's favorites, test of glory

- The minimum goal for you was to get married and start a family. Is not it?

This is just a minimum goal. The minimum is a house. I was simply created to have my own home.

- Who, besides Timofey, do you watch among the basketball players?

All of Spain. But only when there is time for it.

- Your mother Natalya Pirshina told how she and her husband were very surprised when they saw Timofey. By the way, what shoe size does he wear?

Timosha is size 52. And, by the way, it was not my mother who was more shocked by this, but our neighbor. But Timofey is not worried, he laughs, he says that it was much more difficult, that they even shied away from him. And his parents, let's say, were a little surprised by his growth. Moreover, we were prepared for this. I invited him home, and warned my mother that he was big. But when he arrived, mom and dad were simply stunned at first - they didn’t expect him to be SO big, well, just huge. Still more than two meters, after all.

- From the very beginning, were Timofey introduced to his relatives?

Of course, not from the very beginning. Before this, I just told my mother about him. Sparkles appeared in my eyes, and there was no way to hide this from my mother. For example, when I returned from the ride in Gorky Park, where we rode with the guys from the team, my mother said that her daughter fell in love. Well, let’s say, it was mostly me who skated, since Tim couldn’t fit in everywhere. Plus he's tall in addition to being healthy.

- Is it true that humor always precedes Timofey?

Exactly. But this is not because he is famous in wide circles, plays in the NBA and all that. For example, when he first joined the main roster of Khimki, he danced the low break in the store without any embarrassment, and in general he always made me laugh. Even when we just met, and he was still just a boy, he was always in a good mood, positive.

- So to whom should Timofey owe his successful career?

We were always surprised that, with a height of 216 centimeters, we did not notice him. It was a long time ago. But then, the Italian coach Sergio Scariola came and told him that, well, I’m giving you a chance, and if you use it, you’ll play in the national team. Timofey reacted normally to these words, began to work, and soon David Blatt actually called him to the national team.

- Are the favelas over?

Yes, after EuroBasket, where Timofey made a splash, scouts called him to the NBA. Although, to be honest, we really liked it in Khimki. But the NBA is the NBA. I think every basketball player has a dream to play in this league.

DOSSIER

Timofey Mozgov

Role: defender, center

Gaming career: Khimki (2006-2010, 2011), New York Knicks (2010-2011), Denver Nuggets (2011-2015), Cleveland Cavaliers (2015-2016), Los Angeles Lakers ( 2016 - present time)

Achievements: silver medalist of the Russian Championship (2008, 2009, 2010), bronze medalist of the European Championship (2011) and Olympic Games (2012). NBA champion (2016).

- Timothy's greatest glory?

It seems like it was so recently, but many years have passed. But this happened before EuroBasket. An American agent then approached Timofey, after which they left for America, New York, and began working there. If we talk about us, then we didn’t even think about the wedding. We went on dates, then started living together. And suddenly Timofey comes up and says that you should fly to America with him. It was unexpected, but I can’t say that I doubted it too much. They talked about the wedding only once then and then, not too seriously.

- Did you often remember your native country, city, relatives, friends?

Yes, at first it was not easy for Timofey and I. Some other, alien world appeared to us.

"Khimki", "Denver",WEDDING

- Explain then, what kept you there?

Dream.

- Timofey then complained to you in private about how hard it was for him?

Never. He was in a great mood: he liked everything, he always came home happy after training. After all, this is the dream of every boy who plays basketball, and now it has come true, he got into this league.

- Did anyone help Timofey adapt?

No.

- Was this the main difficulty?

It was hard. This is a completely different basketball team, a completely different world. And completely different people, and they speak a completely different language. And we started learning English intensively.

- Many tried to gain a foothold in the NBA, but failed.

Indeed, as far as I know, only two people from Russia succeeded. But this is not surprising, because it is a completely different game.

- When did Timothy have the hardest time?

Yes, in the first month, probably. Since the loads here are completely different, basketball is more athletic and mobile, physically requiring energy. Were the American generals harassing us? No, there was no hierarchy in the team, everyone was equal, although, of course, at first Timofey looked at everyone with respect, but then, no matter, he got used to it and fit in...

- Andrei Kirilenko said that Timofey’s greatest strengths are his desire to progress and hard work. Can you say that Mozgov’s main strength is his height?

I can't and won't tell. If you listen to people who know and understand basketball, they all unanimously say that Timofey always moved forward thanks to his perseverance. No matter how hard it is for him, he always works.

- Evgeny Pashutin proposed marriage to his girlfriend on the second date. Didn't Timofey have such an ardent desire?

If we talk about Timofey, I don’t know, but I did. I'm a girl like everyone else. But Timofey suggested that I get married only in America.

- What place did he choose for this?

It happened in bed in the morning when we woke up. And since Timofey said it, that means it will be so. Yes, a couple of days later he took me to a restaurant, where he poured champagne, asked me to close my eyes and stretch out my hands under the table. But I didn’t immediately understand why. In general, that morning conversation about the wedding flew out of my head: worries, anxieties, vanity, and it didn’t remind me of Tim at all.

- They say that your wedding place was chosen by Valery, a close friend of Timofey, as well as your family. There is this football player, Promes, he plays in Russia, and he says that the main problem in this matter is the visa, because it is impossible to complete the pre-wedding affairs on your own. Did Timofey also not have time to solve these joyful problems?

Yes, ABSOLUTELY. He left this matter to me, my mother and Valera.

Walton, registry office, Cadillac

- You got married recently, but you decided to have a wedding a long time ago. Did you prepare it so carefully?

I wanted to get married in Moscow, Tim wanted to get married in his native Krasnodar, and then Luke Walton, Timofey’s current head coach, who became friends with us and insisted that we get married in America... Still, not the last decision. Maybe that’s why everything dragged on for several months. But if we all assumed, then Andrei Kirilenko won the favor. We all celebrated our birthdays in Las Vegas, but Andrei suggested celebrating another holiday there - our wedding with Timofey. I didn't mind.

- Did that decision somehow affect the wedding?

Why? We invited all the same guests, and we saw them all at our wedding. They also didn’t know what choice we would ultimately make. They just chose not Krasnodar or Moscow, but Las Vegas, that’s all.

- The general impression was that the guests were delighted with the outfits in which you greeted them.

In my opinion, I chose the right suit for Timochka, my dress was also gorgeous, so let’s agree with their opinion.

- But that was after all the holidays. It turns out that the wedding was a success, although, as I know, there were some rough spots?

Perhaps they were pressed for time. Perhaps they were in a hurry. But their registry office was closed on Saturday and Sunday, and on Friday, when we arrived in Vegas, it was open until four o’clock. So, sometimes the most important events in life happen spontaneously, no matter how you prepare for them.

- Was it the time for weddings?

I don’t know, but we had two hours, no more, for all the procedures.

- Didn’t you expect this kind of disrespect?

Well, why the immediate disrespect, they’re just doing their job, that’s all. Normal case.

- Do you turn your attention to Russia in such cases?

Of course, at home everything is more familiar, more familiar. But even there there are drawbacks, such as, for example, filing an application several months in advance.

- Returning to the Las Vegas story, did you realize that all your efforts and hopes were wasted?

No, we had a great desire to get married right now, then, on that day, that is. And we simply signed whoever was wearing what, and then drove the Cadillac to the doors. A disheveled priest came out, crossed us, declared us husband and wife, and that’s it, we were free. But it was necessary to collect other evidence of our union. Tima and I visited all the offices to collect various documents there. Friends helped, and if it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have been able to finish it before six. Now my husband, if he remembers any day, will definitely be our wedding day.

- Andrei Kirilenko didn’t just propose to have a wedding in Vegas.

Yes, that's for sure. It turns out that he really wanted us all to celebrate both his wedding and his birthday. We decided to combine. So this will help Tim not to forget when our wedding date is. After all, Andrei is his great friend, and he will never forget the date of his birthday.

- Any other special memories of the wedding?

Yes, while everything was sorted out with the documents, somehow they were already exhausted. And when you are tired, you want to celebrate quietly.

Polite people, killer

- So, you've settled things, it's time to celebrate. What's next?
“We purposefully celebrated this event later, when everyone got together and combined the wedding with Andrey’s birthday. Who was registered for this fun? Oh, I need to remember this. But, with your permission, I will not do this. Because a lot of people called, congratulated us, and then joined the fun at our invitation.

- You lived in New York for six months. Did you invest a lot in developing Timofey’s career?

Well, not that it was invested, but we were always invited to all events related to Timofey’s work together. And the rest.

- Were you present at the turning point in Timofey’s career, when he played for the Knicks?

At that time, All Stars Games was shown, and we sat on the couch together, watching it at home.

Alla Mozgova with her husband Timofey and his teammate in New York

- Why does Timofey call that very call unexpected?

Then the main time of the All-Star Game itself was going on, and it was about ten in the evening. We bought chicken wings, settled in front of the TV, and thought about nothing else but watching the game. And suddenly a call to Timofey, instructions that he supposedly pack his things now and be at the club office at four o’clock tomorrow. So we wanted to rest, but we didn’t because there was an exchange.

- How did you take this news?

I took it hard.

- What kind of hysteria did you throw at your husband?

Ask Alexey.

- Movie-series killer*?

Yes. He is a friend of Timofey, who called him when I was hysterical.

- Why?

I didn’t want to leave New York for some Denver, and even so unexpectedly. It was a little unusual.

Team, brother, Olympics

- Walton noticed Timofey at the Olympics yet?

Plus or minus then.

- Who or what amazed you at the Olympic Games?

When you felt the holiday, you could see how people were fighting there, and this drive was passed on to you. But we received this energy through the TV screen: there was a small child in our arms. But the whole family looked at dad without fail.

- Brother, sister, parents, grandparents?

Yes, everyone who could be gathered in Moscow. In a narrow circle they decided who would gather and watch Tima’s matches, and unanimously decided: “Everyone.” Of course, I would like to go with my husband, but we jointly decided that it was not worth the extra difficulties for us and the baby. The main thing is that we were with him with every fiber of our soul, and distance was never a hindrance.

- The Russian team of that type is considered the best example in recent history. Do you agree with this?

Millions agree. I watch basketball as much as I know Timofey. But this does not deprive me of the right to express my own feelings about that team. The guys rallied there, fought, they did not spare either themselves or their opponents. This, it seems to me, demoralized the enemy even before the match.

- In the match for third place we managed to beat Argentina. What helped or contributed to this?

Yes, it was simply the peak of the development of our basketball. I repeat that we won with our pressure, our unity, sports aggression, and, of course, our skill too.

- How happy everyone was, I don’t think there’s any need to ask. But what conversations did you and your husband have after that victory?

On the 25th, if I’m not mistaken, we called each other, and everyone was snatching each other’s phone away, everyone wanted to say something. For Timofey it was a time of happiness. And then, when everything calmed down a little, there was talk that, they say, it was possible to take silver and compete for gold, but then I answered my dear that bronze was great, just super.

________________

*Alexey - Alex McCormock, actor. I met Timofey at one of the parties. He was detained by the police while driving while drunk, after which he was sentenced to 15 days of correctional labor. They say that the author of one of the American films, and then a series about a killer, whom he himself played, avoided real arrest, thanks to the patronage of Mozgov, who influenced either the sheriff or the judge, who was an ardent fan of the New York Knicks.