Biography. "Since the age of seven I have been living by basketball": player and coach, champion Vasily Karasev The best statistical years in Europe

Honored Master of Sports of Russia, eight-time champion of Russia, champion of Turkey, champion of Germany

One of the best playmakers in Russia and Europe in the 1990s, who, in addition to excellent average and good long-range shots, was distinguished by his excellent vision of the field, the ability to deliver a sharp, well-timed pass, the ability to take over the game and decide the fate of the match; a basketball player who managed to become the champion of Russia as part of three different teams, and the champion of three countries.

He started playing basketball in 1978 at a sports school in the Petrogradskiy district of Leningrad. During the first seven school years (thanks to the coach and true teacher Igor Bykov, whom V. Karasev called his "second father") Vasily Karasev received the basics of the basketball profession, developed an enduring love for basketball and an irresistible desire to win - he got a start in life.

In 1988 V. Karasev graduated from the Leningrad sports boarding school of the Olympic reserve No. 1, where he trained with A.I. Steinbock. In the same year, he started playing for the Kondrashinsky Leningrad Spartak - he made his debut in the USSR championship mast against the Kaunas Zalgiris.

For five seasons in St. Petersburg "Spartak" V. Karasev gained experience, confidence, found his game and together with the team became the silver medalist of the last USSR championship (in 1991) and the first champion of Russia (in 1992).

In 1992, Stanislav Eremin, who became the head coach of CSKA Moscow, bit by bit collected a new team on the old foundation and traditions. Among the "conscripts" of 1993, V. Karasev joined the team of S. Eremin. With CSKA, in which his talent as a point guard was fully revealed, V. Karasev (height 193 cm, "combat" weight 93 kg) became the champion of Russia five times, played excellently in the Finals of the Northern European League (NEBL) and in the Euroleague. "With Stanislav Eremin, with CSKA, the best memories are associated with this time, the best years of my life" - V. Karasev later recalled.

In 1992, Vasily Karasev became a member of the first Russian national basketball team of the "Selikhov" draft.

However, the success of V. Karasev in the Russian national team is associated with the 5-year period (1994-1999) of its leadership by Sergei Belov. It was during these years that V. Karasev twice became the silver medalist of the World Championship, the silver and bronze medalist of the European Championship.

The drama of the events of the 1994 World Championships in Toronto (Canada) and 1998 in Athens (Greece) is worthy of a separate story.

According to the recollections of Sergei Belov, a good team gathered in the Russian national team-1994, quite young, but quite professional and ready for big victories. All the guys still had the skill of the "Soviet school" of basketball and an unrealized desire to win. The national team prepared thoroughly - according to a special program, for the implementation of which as much time was given as needed (three and a half months) - and was ready to win.

At the preliminary stage of the championship, the Russians beat very strong teams from Argentina, Canada, Australia, and beat them in class. This stage culminated in the semi-final against Croatia. The rival was extremely strong: the stars of the NBA - Dino Raja, Tony Kukoč, Stoyan Vrankovic, a close-knit and well-coordinated squad - a super team, the strength of which Yugoslavia, perhaps, had no equal. Nevertheless, this "miracle team" was defeated by Russia - 66:64.

The next day, adrenaline, which had barely been burnt by the morning in the game with the Croats, and psychologically devastated by their brilliant sensational victory, the Russians were not ready either physically or mentally for the final match for the gold (scheduled for 15 o'clock on the same day) - such victories do not pass without a trace.

They had to face a much more powerful American DreamTeam-2 than the Croats. Reggie Miller, Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O'Neal, Sean Kemp, Dominic Wilkins, Dan Marley, Mark Price - one listing of these great basketball names made the hearts of opponents and fans flutter. The strength of this team was such that, without losing any of the eight matches played, the Americans won over all their rivals by more than 20 points. Against this background, the loss of the Russian national team to this team at the preliminary stage with a difference of "-17" looked worthy. Having shown everything that its players were capable of at that moment, giving the game all the rest of their strength, the Russian national team lost the final match - 137: 91, but this “silver” was more expensive than other gold. The Russians left Toronto with their heads held high.

At the 1998 World Cup, the Russian national team repeated its "silver" success - a result that has not yet been surpassed in the modern history of Russian basketball. Taking into account the performances of the USSR national team, it was the 10th consecutive world championship, when the Russian team managed to win medals.

In preparation for the 1998 World Cup, the head coach of the Russian national team, Sergei Belov, managed to repeat, almost completely, the format of the training cycle that had been tested 4 years earlier and retain the “silver” composition of the national team four years ago.

“The games at the tournament were hard, but in agony,“ on our teeth ”we won strong-willed victories," recalled S. Belov, "We beat Italians, Greeks, Canadians, and in the quarterfinals - Lithuanians. The semi-final game was again the culmination of our performance and made a splash - we beat the US team, not DreamTeam, but also a very strong team. During the match, we had a hard time, the opponent acted extremely energetically and aggressively, especially in defense. 2 minutes before the end of the playing time, we lost "-10", and these 2 minutes ended with a score of 10: 0 in favor of the Russian national team. Sergei Babkov, who scored 30 points in that game, played superbly. In the last seconds, with an equal score against the American "fifth" number, our "third" - Sergey Panov turned out to be. While the Americans were figuring out who to play with whom, “Pan” made a heroic pass through the entire area under the opponent's shield and neatly put the ball into the basket - 66:64. Then, after the effective throw, the timer was not stopped, and Zakhar Pashutin, catching the ball and putting it on the floor under the rim, managed to pull the time a little. The Americans still managed to put the ball into play and even scored an effective three-pointer, but ... after the final siren. A few minutes of a valid pause ... - and the Greek match commissioner showed with a gesture: the ball was not counted. Ours took! "

In the final match of the Russian team, it was not possible to find the key to the strong Yugoslavs, who did a very good job in terms of the main players of the Russians. As a result - an offensive defeat - 62:64 and only "silver". Nevertheless: “Two silver medals of the world championships in a row for the Russian national team, taking into account the prevailing conditions in world basketball at that time, were a leap over their heads, the limit of its capabilities. To some extent, these successes have become a kind of swan song of Soviet basketball, the completion of its glorious history, ”S. Belov noted in his book“ Moving Up ”.

As part of the Russian national team (from 1992 to August 2005) V. Karasev played more than 100 matches - not every basketball player has such a track record. And this experience of the player went to the piggy bank of the future coach V. Karasev.

In 1996, Vasily Karasev received an invitation to the Turkish BC "EFES Pilsen" (Istanbul), with which he became the champion of Turkey in 1997, and the next season as part of the German club "ALBA" (Berlin) became the champion of Germany. Then, playing for BC "Iraklis" (Greece), he gained invaluable experience of European basketball, felt it "from the inside", which, of course, was useful in his future career as a player and coach.

V. Karasev has long understood, accepted and professed the biblical principle “do not create an idol for yourself:“ Yes, I liked someone’s game, but I never wanted to be like someone else. Of the basketball players, Larry Bird would have noted his role. I liked the way the same Magic Johnson plays, of course, Michael Jordan - it was always interesting to watch him. They were thinking players, ”he said.

It was good in Europe, but, as V. Karasev himself noted, “it is always much better and more pleasant to play at home,” and in 2001 he finally returned to Russia. As part of the BC "Ural-Great" team (Perm), in which its head coach (still the same!) The legendary Sergei Belov gathered many stars of European and American basketball, V. Karasev twice in a row (in 2001 and in 2002) became the champion Russia.

In all the twists and turns of the next few years of "nomadic life" - in the mineralovodsky "Lokomotiv", BC "Khimki" near Moscow, "oil and gas producing" BC "University-Yugra" (Surgut), again BC "Ural-Great" (Perm) - V. Karaseva supported by his family: wife Yana, son Sergei and daughter Ksenia.

Twenty years of a professional player's career did not leave any secrets in basketball for Vasily Karasev, the time has come to realize the gained potential as a coach: “During this time, much has changed in Russian basketball, he has become more professional. Now basketball for players is a job that makes money, and that's a good thing. The changes took place naturally, it was not difficult to keep up with them: when you live in constant changes, you do not notice them ”- said V. Karasev.

In 2006 V. Karasev “settled down” for a long time in the Lyubertsy BC “Triumph”, where he first acted as a playing coach, helping his elder friend and mentor S. Eremin (since 2010 - B. Khomicius), and at the beginning of 2012 he headed this team as head coach. In the same year V. Karasev brought BC Triumph to the third place according to the results of the PBL regular championship, as well as to the third place in the Final Four of the European FIBA ​​Challenge Cup, was awarded the honorary badge “For services to the city of Lyubertsy”.

Thanks to the game of the highly experienced 39-year-old V. Karasev, the student team of the Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture (MGAFK) reached the superfinal of the Championship of the Student Basketball Association of the 2009–2010 season.

In 2010-2011, V. Karasev headed the Russian youth team “U19”, which for the first time in many years became the bronze medalist of the 2011 World Championship.

Under the leadership of V. Karasev in 2013, the Russian student team in Kazan for the first time in the history of national basketball (not counting the last victory of the USSR national team in 1985) became the winner of the World Universiade. Several players from that team then joined the Russian national team. The best point guard of the Universiade then became the 20-year-old son of V. Karasev Sergey. By that time, Sergei Karasev had also played for the main Russian team for several years (since 2009). In 2012, in London, he “managed” to win the Olympic “bronze”, and in 2013 became the ninth ever Russian basketball player involved in the US NBA, where he began playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In August 2013, a very tense and dramatic year for V. Karasev, not being afraid of responsibility and the expected flurry of criticism, he “closed the staff gap with his chest.” At a difficult moment when the coaches of the national team and the leadership of the FB of Russia were changed, a month before the start of the European Championship in Slovenia, when it was almost impossible to seriously change something, in the absence of key players of the national team (A. Kirilenko, V. Khryapa, T. Mozgov and A. Kauna) V. Karasev headed the national men's team of Russia. For the first time in eight years, a Russian became the head coach of the national team.

After his appointment, Vasily Karasev said: “I am glad that the team was entrusted to me. Contrary to the widespread opinion in the press that the appointment of a Russian coach harms the reputation of Russian basketball, I believe that Russian coaches have long since proved their right to lead their national team with their victories. We have not only talented coaches, but also strong promising players with whom we can achieve success. "

Unfortunately, four losses in a row (to the national teams of Italy, Greece, Sweden and Finland) and a consolation victory over the Turks, brought the Russian team only eighth place in the group stage of the 2013 European Championship and the loss of chances for a ticket to the 2014 World Cup. But, as they say, for one beaten two unbeaten give ...

“These guys, I am sure, will form the backbone of the national team in a couple of years, and the sooner they gain experience, the better,” V. Karasev said. “Playing from aggressive defense to fast attack is okay. This is a system that has already proven its worth. For three weeks - and that is how much we worked at the training camp on basketball issues - it is difficult to change the mind of a player: the spirit of the winning team is formed over the years. Everything needs to be worked out, and people need to perceive the coaching ideas. But falling and rising, we grow. "

In November 2013, the executive committee of the Russian Basketball Federation appointed V. Karasev as the head coach of the second Russian national basketball team, which was based on the students of the student team, as well as basketball players of the youth team (not older than 20 years).

Both basketball masters - father and son Karaseva - are active promoters of basketball, they have repeatedly given master classes to young Russian basketball players. The audience and participants will remember for a long time the "Student Basketball Festival on Red Square" held within the framework of the 9th TRP Forum. The culmination of the holiday on June 4, 2013 was a match in support of the development of Russian basketball, a match between two teams of basketball players of different generations - "Generation Pi" and "Further Together", in which Vasily Karasev took part along with other stars of Russian basketball and business.

“I started playing basketball at the age of seven, and I lived only with it. And I will continue to live with basketball, in any form, ”said the famous basketball fighter and coach Vasily Karasev.

V.N. Karasev - Honored Master of Sports of Russia, silver medalist of the World Championship (1994, 1998), silver medalist of the European Championship (1993), bronze medalist of the European Championship (1997), silver medalist of the USSR Championship (1991), champion of Russia (1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002), silver medalist of the Russian championship (1993), champion of Turkey (1997), champion of Germany (1998), bronze medalist of the Euroleague Final Four (1996), bronze medalist of the youth world championship (2011), bronze winner of the FIBA ​​Challenge Cup (2009, 2011).

Played for teams: Spartak (St. Petersburg) (1989-1993), CSKA (Moscow) (1993-1996; 1998-2000), EFES Pilsen (Istanbul) (1996-1997), ALBA (Berlin) (1997-1998), Iraklis (Greece) (2000-2001), Ural-Great (Perm) (2001-2002; 2005-2006), Lokomotiv (Mineralnye Vody) (2002-2003 ), Khimki (Moscow Region) (2003-2005), University-Yugra (Surgut) (2006-2008), Triumph (Lyubertsy) (2008-2009), MGAFK (Moscow) (2009-2010) ...

Coach career: head coach of BC Triumph-2 (Lyubertsy) (2009–2010), coach, head coach of BC Triumph (Lyubertsy) (2010–2013), coach of the Russian youth team U19 (2010–2011), head coach of the Russian student team at the 2013 World Universiade, acting head coach of the Russia-1 national team, head coach of the Russia-2 national team (since August 2013).

Awarded with a medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree, a medal of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

The famous Russian basketball player, and now one of the most interesting domestic coaches, Vasily Nikolayevich Karasev, turned 44 the other day. Today our story is about him.

Vasya Karasev - player

Vasily Karasev was one of the best defenders in Russia and Europe, who skillfully combined the qualities of both a point guard and an attacker. A well-timed miracle pass, a fearless pass or an accurate three at the most difficult moment of the match - all this could be provided to the team by Vasya Karasev. As in the case with many domestic basketball players, Anatoly Steinbock, the master of the coaching department, from the Leningrad Olympic reserve sports boarding school, had a hand in his talent. During his 20-year player career, Vasily Karasev played in 10 teams in four different European countries. He is a multiple champion of Russia with CSKA, and has once led his teams to victories in Turkey (Efes Pilsen, 1997) and Germany (Alba, 1998). His first team was the Leningrad "Spartak", and now he coaches the St. Petersburg "Zenith".

As a player of the national team, Karasev took part in three youth tournaments (1990/92), and then defended the colors of the main team of the country for a whole decade, winning two silver in the world championships, as well as silver and bronze in continental championships. At the European Championship-97 and World Cup-98 Vasily was the leader of the Russian national team in playing time, efficiency and average number of assists per game. According to the results of the second world vice-championship for Russia, Karasev was included in the symbolic five of the tournament. He was a repeated participant in European all-star matches, and in 1999 he became the most productive among the winners from the East, gaining 20 points and four assists in 26 minutes.

A personal record in the European club scene for the number of assists per game (14) happened for him in the first meeting of the 1996 Euroleague quarterfinal series. Then CSKA stopped at the third stage of the championship. And the top scorer in the European arena surrendered to him a year earlier at the same stage of the quarterfinals. In the first of the matches of the 95th series with Olympiacos, CSKA defeated Europe, defeating the richest club of the Old World in Moscow with a score of 95:65! Karasev scored a triple-double that evening - 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. The second game, not without the help of the referees, on Greek territory was taken by the rivals of our team 86:77, in which Vasily set his European performance record (31 points). After that, a terrible story happened with severe poisoning of more than half of the CSKA team, and Karasev was among the victims. Only five Russians were able to enter the match then, and Vasily with five other comrades fought for health in Spartan Greek conditions. By the way, Andrey Spiridonov, who now holds the post of sports director of BC Zenit and is the uncle of the player of the St. Petersburg team, Pavel Spiridonov, was among the army men who entered the floor at that time.

Best Statistical Years in Europe

1994-95 season with CSKA - 17.3 points and 4.2 assists. Leader in scoring in the team and second in assists. The 1995-96 season at CSKA excelled in both categories - 17.3 points and 7.2 assists. The 1996/97 season, playing for Efes, was the second in average points per game (12.4) after the genius Macedonian Petar Naumoski. In the 1997/98 season - the second scorer at Alba with a score of 14.2 points after the American long-liver of European basketball Wendell Alexis. Returning to CSKA, for two seasons in a row 1998/00 Karasev was again the main assistant of the army club (3.6 and 4.2 assists), scoring less only Valery Daineko (14.2 and 12.5 points). Vasily (2.3 assists) turned out to be the main passer when he moved to the Greek Iraklis in the 2000/01 season. Moreover, the then already 30-year-old Karasev, who spent 27 minutes on the floor, was briefly replaced by 21-year-old Dimitris Diamantidis - in the future a living legend of European basketball. In 2004, as part of the Moscow Region Khimki within the FIBA ​​Euroleague, Vasily shared the title of the team's main scoring team with Alexander Petrenko (14.1 points each), but even then he had no equal in the draw (3.6 assists).

At the age of 39, having completed his professional career, Vasily Karaseva helped the student team of the Moscow State Academy of Physical Culture (MGAFK) to reach the superfinal of the Championship of the Student Basketball Association (ACB) of the 2009-2010 season.

Team-mates' opinions

Evgeny Kisurin - Vasily's partner in the teams Spartak (St. Petersburg), CSKA (Moscow) and the Russian national team:

We have known Vasya since 1990. We met at Spartak, for which he began to play in the 1991/92 season. Karasev, as a player, was distinguished by athleticism, good throw, speed. His organizational skills came with experience, at first it caused a lot of emotions on the part of the coach and teammates. Was he going to become a coach? Then we didn't think about it, we just wanted to play a lot and well. In life, he is a very calm and balanced person, who has a good family, always supporting him in everything.

Vadim Panin is Vasily's partner in the Ural Great (Perm) and Triumph (Lyubertsy) teams:

Vasily Karasev is a simple man without any stardom. I met him when I was still a 20-year-old guy. In life he is very positive, you can always talk with him on any topic, and in basketball, of course, a playmaker from God! Of course, I only saw his last playing years, but even in them I realized that he was a master! Of course, not counting what I saw before in his performance on TV. Karasev handed out such programs that many did not even think about. Then it did not seem that he would become a coach, maybe he lacked toughness, but a coach, in my opinion, should be so. But now I see what he is doing, and I am happy for him. The main thing is that he is not afraid of difficulties and remains true to himself.

Vasily Nikolaevich - coach

According to Vasily Nikolayevich himself, even during his performances under the leadership of Stanislav Eremin at CSKA (now the general secretary of BC Zenit), he was interested in the specifics of coaching, but did not plan to take on such responsibility in the future. In fact, preparing his son Sergei for big basketball, he could not get far from his native game. And when the time came to hang the sneakers on a nail, Vasily Nikolayevich began to share his accumulated experience with the younger generation. At first it was "Triumph-2" (Lyubertsy), and in December 2011, after the hospitalization of Valdemaras Chomicius, he made his debut as and. O. the main "Triumph". Having become a full-fledged mentor of the Moscow Region club, Karasev took the team to third place in the PBL regular championship, as well as in the Final Four of the FIBA ​​Challenge Cup. Now he continues to lead this team with a new name and in a new place, having moved to his native Peter. Last year, his "Triumph" became the vice-champion of the Eurochallenge, and this year Zenit reached the 1/8 finals of the Eurocup and now have good chances to start the VTB League playoffs with the advantage of their own site.

Karasev, who played under the flag of the country in more than 100 matches, began his coaching path in the national team in the Russian youth team at the Eurobasket U20 in 2010, being one of Boris Livanov's assistants. The current ward of Vasily Nikolaevich, forward Yevgeny Valiev, also played in that line-up. In 2011, Karasev was an assistant to Mikhail Solovyov when the U19 team won bronze medals “on the world”. The current Zenit basketball players Artem Vikhrov and Dmitry Kulagin, as well as Karasev Jr. played in the same line-up of the Russians. In 2013, after the first Russian victory at the Universiade, Vasily Nikolaevich, during the palace coup, the RBF, along with the team, found himself hostage to the situation, having won only one victory at the European Championship in rank and. O. head coach.

In the summer of 2014, with the student team, Karasev won the Stankovic Cup in a dispute with serious teams from Slovenia, Angola and China. As part of the Russian squad, such players from the Triumph system, and then Zenit, such as Pavel Spiridonov, Andrei Desyatnikov, Anton Komolov, Andrei Razumov, Alexei Babushkin and Viktor Zaryazhko, became champions.

Sergei Elevich - coach of Vasily Karasev in Khimki and the Russian national team at the 2003 European Championship:

Karasev, as a player, is very extraordinary. He played well when he understood what the mentor wanted from him, wanted specifics. He possessed excellent technical skill, saw the development of the attack, read the defense. But he seemed more useful to me in a different position. I think that he did not fully reveal his capabilities as an attacking defender, possessing a heightened sense of taking the ring and changing the rhythm. Karasev could be more useful to the team in the position of the second number if the role of the playmaker was removed from him, which fettered him. He became a hostage to the situation, but not every coach felt it. I have been very lucky in my life to work with him. We argued a lot, on some aspects I agreed with him, on others I did not. But these were productive arguments, bearing fruit in my education as a coach.

Time passed, and now he is a coach himself! When we meet, we talk about organizing the game, training. A lot has changed in the psychology of the players, they began to receive good contracts, and this affects the views of the mentor. Foreign basketball players have appeared in the teams, which makes it possible for more maneuver in coaching. Starting to coach the student team, few people thought about success in Kazan at the Universiade, but he proved his worth as a specialist following the right path. Being a club coach is not easy, and the national team is even more difficult. The mentor should have a heightened sense of understanding the current situation, making a lightning-fast decision. And Karasev has these qualities! I wish him every success, not to get into a turbulent situation and of course patience.

He began his career at the Triumph club near Moscow, for whose youth team he began playing in 2008. Since 2010, he played for Triumph-2, in the 2011/12 season he was involved in the games of the main team. In 2011, at the age of 17, he became the MVP of the 25th round of PBL, gaining 34 points in the match with Dynamo Moscow, having received a utility coefficient of 43.

International career

Since 2009, he has been involved in the games of the national team of various ages (up to 18, 19 and 20 years old). He was first called up to the national team for the qualifying round games for the 2012 Olympics, which were held in Caracas, Venezuela. He took part in three matches at the tournament, spent an average of 8.54 minutes on the field, scored 3.3 points, gave 0.7 assists, made 1.7 rebounds, 0.7 steals. Included in the application of the Russian national team for the 2012 Olympics in London. According to the results of the Games, the Russian national team became the bronze medalist of the Olympics (3rd place). For this achievement, Sergei Karasev, like all his teammates, was awarded the medal of the Order of Merit to the Fatherland, II Degree.

Awards

Medal of the Order of Merit to the Fatherland, II degree (August 13, 2012) - for a great contribution to the development of physical culture and sports, high sporting achievements at the Games of the XXX Olympiad 2012 in London (Great Britain).

Achievements

As part of the national team

Bronze medalist of the 2012 Olympic Games.

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Everyone who loves basketball knows the name of Vasily Karasev well, but Wikipedia, as usual, gives insulting little information about the life of a wonderful player and coach - except for the list of teams and regalia. We will try to fill this annoying gap.

Vasily Karasev - basketball player

Vasily Nikolaevich Karasev was born in Leningrad on April 14, 1971. In 1978 he started playing basketball at a sports school. Later he entered the Leningrad Olympic Reserve School (boarding school), from which he graduated in 1988. The development of a talented young man was led by Anatoly Steinbock, an outstanding coach who raised many good athletes.

From childhood, the life principle of Vasily Karasev is to be the first in everything. Achieve victory at any cost! And the young basketball player was making progress quickly. Already in 1989, yesterday's schoolboy joined the legendary Leningrad club "Spartak", in which he previously played. As part of Spartak, Karasev was among the last silver medalists in the history of the Soviet Union (1991) and the first champions of Russia (1992). In 1993 he moved to the CSKA basketball club.

Playing role Karasev - point guard. Speed ​​and athleticism, masterful dribbling, average height for a basketball player (Vasily Karasev's height is 193 centimeters, weight - 93 kilograms), and most importantly - an "intellectual" style of play: all these factors made Vasily's position in sports very significant. It should be borne in mind that Karasev belonged to a happy generation of young basketball players who were able to quickly advance and take responsibility for the success of the team. There were no legionnaires in Russia yet, but many experienced basketball players went abroad. Karasev was able to use the chance and quickly turn around, not only in clubs, but also in the national team. Already at the age of 20, he was called up to the Russian national team.

Vasily Karasev - the winner

In the legendary 1994 World Cup, Vasily, together with the Russian team, won a silver medal, while the national team defeated many first-class rivals - Canadians, Argentines, Australians, the Croatian star team and lost only to the American dream team (Dream Team, one of the strongest in history).

At the 1998 championship, Karasev turned out to be the leader of the national team - he spent the most time in the game, gave the most assists. Russia was one step away from gold: in the final we still lost with a minimum score to the Yugoslavs, having defeated the American Dream Team in the semifinals before that. Vasily Karasev entered the top five players of the championship (the symbolic team of the world).

There were remarkable achievements in club games as well. For example, in 1996, during the CSKA match with the strong Greek team Olympiacos, Karasev scored 31 points - a European record.

Then the famous basketball player went abroad. In 1997, the champion of Russia Vasily Karasev also became the champion of Turkey together with the club "Efes Pilsen", and in 1998, together with "Alba" - also the champion of Germany. In total, Karasev managed to play in a dozen different clubs.

He played for a very long time and ended his career only at the age of 39. “If I could combine my yesterday's speed with today's wisdom” ... - Karasev once said at the end of his playing path.

Vasily Karasev - the father of the basketball player

Basketball player Karasev has a wife, a former volleyball player - Yana Karaseva, daughter Ksenia and son Sergei.

In the family: Vasily Karasev with his wife

Vasily Karasev and his wife turned out to be loving and at the same time ambitious parents. They admit that they have always dreamed of seeing children as athletes. And if the daughter chose a different field, then the son followed in his father's footsteps and now became the famous basketball player Sergei Karasev. The future player was brought up quite tough. For example, the boy learned to swim when he was thrown into the pool without warning (his parents, of course, stood by and controlled the situation).

In 2012, Sergei became a bronze medalist at the Olympics, and since 2013 has been playing in the NHL - he became the ninth basketball player from Russia in this league in history.

The first mentor of the young athlete was his father, who unexpectedly discovered a "coaching streak" in himself. This had important consequences.

Vasily Karasev - coach's career

Having connected with basketball all his life, Karasev, of course, did not want to leave the sport at the age of 39. After two decades of playing career, he knew everything about basketball and was eager to put this knowledge into practice. In 2009-2010, he coached the Triumph-2 team, and in 2010 he took on the Russian youth team, which won bronze at the World Championship the following year. At the same time, he led the student team, which won the Universiade in 2013 - for the first time in Russian history. In this tournament, under the supervision of his father, his son also played.

The club's career was also successful: since 2014, Karasev has been heading basketball Zenit. In 2016, this club became the finalist of the Russian Cup. According to the results of the VTB United League championship, Vasily Karasev was recognized as the best coach.

The only major coaching failure was with the national team. Vasily Karasev took over the leadership of the team at a very difficult moment (2013): the strongest players were absent, and only a few weeks remained before the start of the European Championship. In such conditions, it was very difficult to do something, and as a result, the team did not even leave the group, showing a very low result.