Aprile 23, 2014

Sergei Alexandrovich Belov, 1944-2013, was a professional basketball player, most noted for playing for the Soviet Union national basketball team at the Olympic Games.

Belov was born in the village of Nashchyokovo, Shegarsky District, Tomsk Oblast, Soviet Union.^[2] He trained at Trud Voluntary Sports Society, and later at Armed Forces sports society.In 1968, he became an Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Later, he became an Honored Coach of Russia (1995), and the President of the Russian Basketball Federation (1993–98).Belov is considered to be one of the best non-American basketball players of all time. He was given the honor of lighting the Olympic Cauldron with the Olympic flame, during the 1980 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, in Moscow. In 1991, FIBA named him theBest FIBA Player Ever. He became the first international player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on May 11, 1992. He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.^[5] He was named of the 50 Greatest Euroleague Contributors in 2008. Belov died on 3 October 2013 in Perm, Russia.