101 Greats of European Basketball

Vladimir Stankovic
such a big deal with long-range shooting or assists, but
he was correct in everything and with his huge speed,
everything looked much better. I knew we would not be
able to keep him for the following season.”
The kid who played his first season in Europe for some
6,000 dollars per year signed for the powerhouse of CS-
KA Moscow just four years later, with a multi-million-dollar
deal at the start of a big project meant to take CSKA to the
top again. CSKA’s last EuroLeague title was more than 30
years before that, in 1971. During Holden’s first season in
Moscow, CSKA reached the EuroLeague Final Four, played
in Barcelona. The seven following years, Holden and CSKA
would become regular guests at the end-of-season event
in the top European competition.
Due to the restrictions on foreign players in the Russian
League, Holden was offered a Russian passport so
that he could play as a national in the league, and he
accepted. On October 20, 2003, under the signature of
president Vladimir Putin, Jon Robert Holden became a
Russian citizen. It was a decision that changed his life,
but also the history of basketball. As the USSR, the
country had been European champ 14 times and won
three silvers and four bronzes, as well. But as Russia,
it had only a silver medal from the 1993 EuroBasket in
Munich. But that would soon change.
History in Prague and Madrid
However, before winning the 2007 EuroBasket in
Madrid with Russia, Holden took CSKA Moscow to the
top again, 35 years after its last EuroLeague crown.
After a 10-4 record in the regular season, a 5-1 run
through the Top 16 and a 2-0 sweep of Efes Pilsen in
the playoffs, CSKA reached the Prague Final Four – its
fourth in a row – with a great desire to finally triumph after
three consecutive semifinals defeats. The first rival
was FC Barcelona, whom CSKA defeated 84-75, led by
the great duo of Holden and Theo Papaloukas. Each of
them scored 19 points, but Holden played 35 minutes,
controlling the tempo of the game. In the title game
against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Holden didn’t shine as against
Barcelona, but coach Ettore Messina kept him on the
floor for 36 minutes and CSKA won 73-69. Points were
provided by Papaloukas (18) and David Vanterpool (16).
Holden got stuck at 6 points and 4 assists, but his averages
for those two games also showed 2.5 steals and
just 1.5 turnovers in more than 35 minutes, plus 12.5
points with 45.5% two-point accuracy and 41.7% on
three-pointers. As always, his defense on the ball was
impeccable and the basis for CSKA’s league-leading
points-against average. The title, won after 35 years,
was dedicated to the father of Russian basketball, Alexander
Gomelskiy, who had died a few months earlier.
In 2007, at the Athens Final Four, CSKA lost in the
title game against Panathinaikos, 93-91, in an unforgettable
game. But some months later, Holden lived one
of the best moments in his sports life with what is the
dream of any player: winning an important title with a
basket by him on the last play of the game.
His sweet moment took place on September 16,
2007, at the Palacio de los Deportes in Madrid, during
the EuroBasket final between Russia and Spain. The
hosts were the world champions at the time and big
favorites. During halftime, the organizers even handed
out invitations for the Spanish title celebration. But Holden’s
Russia didn’t agree to that. A slight Spain advantage
was reduced to only two points at the start of the final
quarter with a triple by Holden at 51-49. The game would
remain close until the last 43 seconds, when Spain led
59-58 and had the ball. But the hosts didn’t get a shot off
on that possession because Holden stole the ball from
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