On August 3, the reigning Super League champion Dynamo Vladivostok announced the signing of 2007 European champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Anton Ponkrashov. The 38-year-old basketball player spent the last two seasons with a short break at Paris NN, which plays in the VTB United League. “Championship” spoke with Anton Ponkrashov about his choice.
— You are returning to the Super League after 20 years. Please comment on your move to Dynamo from Vladivostok. — By the way, yes, not many people know, but I have experience playing in the Super League. It was a long time ago. But I have experience. In fact, I know many Super League players, I have met many of them, I have followed the Super League and its level. It will be an interesting journey. In fact, the decision was easy, because my priority was to stay in Russia so that my family could move with me. There were several options abroad, but when the option with Vladivostok appeared, in general everything was decided very quickly with Eduard Sandler, which I am very grateful to him for. That is why I am very happy to have signed a contract with Dynamo. The family will be close, we will be in Russia and this is very important for me.
—How were the negotiations going when they started? — Negotiations started a few days ago. I have known Eduard Sandler for a long time, so everything was clear and fast. We agreed, signed and now I am an official player of Dynamo Vladivostok.
— The club did not inform about the duration of the contract. Maybe you can do this? — The contract is for two years.
Anton Ponkrashov
Photo: Paris NN press service
— Is there an agreement that if there is a more interesting offer, for example from the VTB United League, there will be a possibility of termination? Have you discussed this possibility? — After the first season there is a financial solution. That is why all my thoughts and all my energy are focused on playing for Dynamo.
— Was it important for you to find a club before the start of the new season? “I had no doubt that I would find a club before the start of the season. I received many offers, but not all of them were from Russia.
– For example? — I almost signed a contract with a team in Iran. There were options from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates.
— Is the Super League a new challenge in some way? — I continue to do what I love! Basketball is always a challenge and tests your strength. It doesn’t matter where: Super League, national team or China.
— What does President and Head Coach Eduard Sandler expect from you? What will your role be? — We don’t talk about the role. There is only one goal: victory.
— Did you watch Dynamo’s matches last season? Do you have any idea how the team plays? — Yes, I watched the entire final series with Khimki and I watched a couple of matches before that. But you can’t compare the team from that season with the current one, since almost the entire composition has changed. Therefore, there will definitely be new tactics, new ideas. In general, we’ll see what the coach offers us.
— What do you personally expect from the new season? “Believe it or not, I don’t really expect anything. I’m just focused on preparation now, I want to prepare my body as much as possible for the games, so all the focus is on that. And I don’t particularly expect anything for the season. I’ll work as usual.
Anton Ponkrashov
Photo: from Anton Ponkrashov’s personal archive.
— You were in good shape all summer because you played in China. Tell us about this experience, because you have been going there for several years now. How did you find these tournaments? — Everything is generally simple here. I was offered this option last year. They said that such tournaments were held there and asked if it was interesting or not. I went last year, but the number of games was not that big. After all, this is a different market, different games, different competitions. Therefore, I gained experience. I have already played many more games this year. I like that there are a lot of games there, plus basketball is the number one sport in China, good competition, serious American players. I am in good shape, so everything is fine, I plan to continue riding.
—What is the Chinese routine in general, their way of life, to what extent are you imbued with it? – Yes, well. For me, the biggest difficulty was probably adjusting to the food. I’ve been there several times already and I generally understand the culture. I understand that in some provinces, if people touch me by the hair on my arm, they just grab me and yell at me – this is normal, because maybe a white person has never been to these provinces. I treat this completely appropriately. They have all sorts of interesting things. Like when they dance outside the shopping centre on Friday and Saturday nights. From nine o’clock in the evening everyone gathers in big groups and just dances and gets high. Of course, you won’t find this in Russia.
— You were supposed to go to China again in August. Apparently I had to cancel? — Yes, I had tournaments planned starting on August 4, but, as they say, the choice here is obvious. China is a layman’s story. When the Dynamo option came, everything became clear. All non-professional options were immediately pushed aside. Fruitful preparations for the season are already beginning, so a decision had to be made. Of course, my Chinese were upset. But I seemed to explain that this was a professional story. And, as sad as it was for them, my choice was in favor of professional basketball. By the way, in fact, a large number of Americans wrote both words of support and congratulations on my signing. Well, I mean, I really didn’t expect this American basketball community, because almost everyone I played with and against, everyone wrote some of their own words. This is great.
