Dmitry Uzinsky is not at all Loko’s leader in points, but he is one of those important figures who “carries a piano.” Photo: RIA Novosti
The World Cup ended with a victory for Germany. Suddenly?
Dmitry Uzinsky: Only partly. In any case, before the start of the tournament, many mentioned Germans among the contenders for medals, although not necessarily gold. Germany objectively deserved its victory with its performance. In general, it is worth noting that the tournament in Southeast Asia was clear proof that European teams are capable of surpassing foreign teams composed of NBA players. And not only because of a well-structured game and a tough defense, but also thanks to a brighter and fresher attack. And in general, there are now many Europeans among the top stars of the NBA. When I watched the matches of the last championship, I naturally sympathized with the Slovenian team. After all, this team was led by our coach Alexander Sekulic.
How, in your opinion, could the Russian team perform at the World Cup? If it weren’t for the political sanctions and our dismissal during the successful selection for the world championship…
Dmitry Uzinsky: It is a pity, of course, that Russia was undeservedly deprived of the opportunity to participate in this basketball festival. I am sure that the team, whose leaders, by the way, are young Loko players Andrei Martyuk, Alexander Shcherbenev and Vladislav Yemchenko, could at least qualify for the top eight. That is, hypothetically, I had good chances and opportunities to reach the quarterfinals. Suffice it to remember that in our first match of the continental qualification for the 2023 World Cup in St. Petersburg we confidently beat the Italians with a solid difference of 14 points. And the “Squadra Azzurra” ended up looking very good at the world championship and reached the playoffs, that is, the top 8, where they lost to the Americans in the first round.
What do you think and know about Loko’s opponent in the Kuban Cup semi-finals, Runa from the capital? Still, this is a newcomer to the United League.
Dmitry Uzinsky: We were together at the recent preseason training camp in Turkey. “Runa” is an ambitious team, the Moscow club has greatly strengthened its squad compared to last season. They invited an interesting coach: the Turkish Ertugrul Erdogan. A difficult test awaits us. And no one should be fooled by the fact that “Runa” is a newcomer to the VTB United League. Let me remind everyone that Loko opened the last 2022/23 season with a match against another newcomer – MBA. And in the end we were defeated in front of our fans. So in no case are we going to repeat previous mistakes, that is why we prepare for the Kuban Cup tournament with maximum concentration.
Uzinsky played 50 official games with Loko last season and was always in the starting five
In general, in what mood did your team approach the Kuban Cup?
Dmitry Uzinsky: Unfortunately, in several matches in the Turkish camp we did not play in the best way, that is, in terms of sporting results. We lost mainly at the end of the games. Of course, there were quite good matches in terms of quality of play and dedication, for example against one of the best clubs in Europe, Anadolu Efes from Istanbul. We showed character, came back from a double-digit deficit, took the lead in the final minute and had a potentially winning attack. Unfortunately we did not have a cool head in the decisive moments and did not find a good opportunity for an effective shot. Something similar happened in other endings: we could not trap our opponents for a profitable exchange or create a convenient position for the attack.
Do you miss the noise of the home stands and the incredible atmosphere of your stadium?
Dmitry Uzinsky: Well, of course. Once again I believe that with the support of Krasnodar fans we will be able to show better and smarter basketball. All the boys really missed the noisy stands of Basket Hall over the summer. And we will try to please our loyal fans with maximum dedication, a great game and, of course, victories. In general, it is great that serious basketball tournaments are being held again in Krasnodar. I remember that the last time something like this happened was more than ten years ago, in 2011.
You played in many places in Russia. There is probably something to compare with how the basketball industry is organized in Krasnodar?
Dmitry Uzinsky: Yes, indeed, during my professional career I played in different divisions of the national championship for the teams of Vladivostok, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Nizhny Novgorod and, since last year, Krasnodar. I can say that now both Lokomotiv-Kuban and the Basketball Federation of the Krasnodar Territory are making great efforts to popularize the sport in this southern region. More recently, a tournament for the nearest reserve teams of the Loko Cup was held in our Youth Training Center and now, simultaneously with the Kuban Cup, another competition will be held – a youth tournament named after coach Yuri Pavlov. And during the last season in Krasnodar there was also a lot of basketball at different levels: professional, youth and amateur. In this sense, I cannot fail to note the great personal contribution of the president of Loko, Andrei Vedishchev, to the popularization and development of the best, in my opinion, ball game. Largely thanks to his energy and effort, our basketball academy was inaugurated a year ago, creating the best conditions in the country for the practice of this sport.
Where will we see?
Thursday, September 14, “Match! Arena”
17.00. “Parma” (Perm) – BC “Samara”. “Kuban Cup”. First semi-final. Live broadcast
“Party! Country”
20.00. “Lokomotiv-Kuban” (Krasnodar) – “Runa” (Moscow). “Kuban Cup”. Second semi-final. Live broadcast
