Thread: Бэскэтбол в России

I know basketball is popular in Russia, but how much? Does every high school, middle school, and grade school have basketball teams, boys and girls?
Generally, who likes to play basketball and where?
Are there basketball games on television everyday?
How tall are Russians on average? How many of you know of Владимир Вакулев?

Originally Posted by Siriusly

I know basketball is popular in Russia, but how much?

Basketball is not VERY popular. It cannot compare with football (soccer).

Does every high school, middle school, and grade school have basketball teams, boys and girls?

No, not every at all

Are there basketball games on television everyday?

Not everyday, but they are on the special sport television channel quite often.

How many of you know of Владимир Вакулев?

I don't know him, never heard about him. Though I watch basketball sometimes.

Баскетбол в России

Originally Posted by Siriusly

Does every high school, middle school, and grade school have basketball teams, boys and girls?

Actually we have just school and I've never heard about "school basketball teams" though any of the schools has a basketball field in the gym as far as I know and children play basketball during the lessons quite often.

That's good to hear. It would be sad if basketball was popular in Russia. I will tell you why. Because basketball sucks!!! I hate this game for girlies.

Seriously Siriusly,

American sports don't seem to be well received here. I LOVE baseball, watch American (real) football but I have taken beatings on these forums... I'd think an indoor sport like Basketball would be good in Russian winters, but no. GO <school>TEAM doesn't seem that big in Russia. That is from a teacher friend in Russia. They go to classes on Saturday.
I've taken some Russian student/workers to basketball games at the local high school (HATED them, I don't care for them either), H.S. Football (they LOVED the marching bands), Cape Cod Baseball League games... They don't know the game well, but they loved going to Fenway Park to see a game ("It's so green!" "Everyone is so happy" "Yankees suck").

I wonder about Badminton and vollyball, perhaps dodgeball, but I'm getting older.

Originally Posted by capecoddah

I wonder about Badminton and vollyball, perhaps dodgeball, but I'm getting older.

Not popular sport. Absolutely. Vollyball more or less. Most popular sports in country only football(soccer) and hockey

Hmmm, I'm suprised to hear that. I know a LOT of people who watch basketball games regulary and play occasionally themselves (ok, I live in Ukraine, but really I can't believe that there's a significant difference in sport tastes). It's not too hard to find a basketball playground either. Every school has it, and some children's playgrounds in living areas too. During the sport classes in the University boys when given a choice preferred to play basketball instead of other activities.

It's not quite as popular as soccer is, but still it has a lot of fans. What about basketball (or any other) school teams I never saw or heard about any. Well, MY schcool had no sport teams at all.

OK, I just finished chatting with my teacher-friend in Russia.... Her (city) school is distiguished by a number.... №41 ПУШЕЧНОЕ ЯДРО is the name I gave to her school. Another culture shock. I'd think that the old Soviet would encourage team sport and have a leftover effect. Team spirit, varsity jackets, fight songs etc... Wrong...
I wonder how Russia gets Olympic atheletes with no inter-scholastic competition.

I'm ready to get flamed.

The Soviets did in fact encourage team sports, but they've picked football and ice-hockey for some reason.

I miss the days seeing on TV the "famous" "infamous" CCCP. Those were the "good 'ole days" of sports. Remember when Alexander Volkov scored the winning basket in the Olympics giving the basketball gold medal to the CCCP; or when the USA beat the CCCP ice hockey team; eventually giving the US the gold medal. Was it all a big political scam!!!???!!! WHO WILL WIN? CAPITALISTS OR COMMUNISTS.....NEITHER....THE CHINESE WILL WIN!!!!!

But seriously, why would a country like Russia not want to excel at indoor sports, like basketball? Look how successful they are at tennis. Honestly, you could only play soccer two months a year in Russian, which would explain why I have never heard Russian and soccer mentioned in the same sentence. Baseball???...forget it...a girl's sport!!

Originally Posted by Siriusly

I miss the days seeing on TV the "famous" "infamous" CCCP. Those were the "good 'ole days" of sports. Remember when Alexander Volkov scored the winning basket in the Olympics giving the basketball gold medal to the CCCP; or when the USA beat the CCCP ice hockey team; eventually giving the US the gold medal. Was it all a big political scam!!!???!!! WHO WILL WIN? CAPITALISTS OR COMMUNISTS.....NEITHER....THE CHINESE WILL WIN!!!!!

*cough* the chinese are communists...

I don’t know where did you study and what kind of school you did visit but I changed a lot of school coz of my father who is a military man and I want to say you with all my responsibility that every school, in which I studied, have a football or basketball team or anything else, and we had regular local championships but they just do not considered on mass media as it does the USA.
P.S. Don’t beat me for my crappy English.

Sirusly sez: "Baseball???...forget it...a girl's sport!!"

um, no, softball is a girl's sport (also a middle-aged beer-drinking sport) I have a Louisville Slugger to back that up.

Originally Posted by capecoddah

Sirusly sez: "Baseball???...forget it...a girl's sport!!"

um, no, softball is a girl's sport (also a middle-aged beer-drinking sport) I have a Louisville Slugger to back that up.

Well, actually I played some "teenage" beer drinking softball" on Cape Cod myself!

Originally Posted by DDT

Originally Posted by capecoddah

Sirusly sez: "Baseball???...forget it...a girl's sport!!"

um, no, softball is a girl's sport (also a middle-aged beer-drinking sport) I have a Louisville Slugger to back that up.

Well, actually I played some "teenage" beer drinking softball" on Cape Cod myself!

Good God man! did you put that on your visa application??? Yankees fans are everywhere!

Don't know about other regions, basketball is quite popular in the Urals. It may have something with our very successful female team "Uralochka" that makes basketball popular, or vice versa, it's thanks to popularity of basketball that we have such a strong team.