The new hero of the reality show "The Bachelor" — famous basketball player Vyacheslav Kravtsov — gave an open interview in which he revealed details of his stay in Russia in 2015. The athlete, who became a participant of the project on the STB channel, explained that the move to Moscow was dictated by personal circumstances, not political views.
Personal drama as the reason for the move
According to Kravtsov, the decision to play for Moscow's CSKA in 2015 was spontaneous and emotional. During his time playing for the Donetsk team, he met a girl from the cheerleading squad. The relationship developed, and the couple even moved to the USA, where the basketball player began his career in the NBA. However, in the second year of their life together, a conflict arose between them, and the girl left to live and work in Moscow.
"At first I thought: 'No, definitely not Moscow, it's impossible'. But when we started communicating again, I had a crazy idea to go there for her and try to restore the relationship and agree to the team's offer," Kravtsov told in a blitz interview to the STB channel.
Realization of the mistake
The career in Russia lasted only two and a half months. Kravtsov called this experience a mistake and emphasized that his position towards Ukraine remains unchanged. "I did not fully understand the scale of what was happening — that Russia attacked Ukraine. I was there for only two and a half months. During this time, everything became clear. Was it a mistake? Yes. Or is my position 'what does it matter'? Definitely not," the athlete stated.
He also reminded that since the age of 18, he has defended the Ukrainian national team, led it for 10 years, and switched to the Ukrainian language with his parents and friends. He communicates with his daughter exclusively in Ukrainian since her birth.
Comment on politics in sports
Kravtsov commented on the old statement that "basketball is not politics." According to him, Russian media often take phrases out of context. "What is there to comment on? Russian media write as they want. A very, very out-of-context interview," he noted.
Biography and current activities
Vyacheslav Kravtsov is 38 years old. He is from Odesa, plays the center position, and is a Master of Sports of Ukraine of International Class. In the past, he played for BC "Kyiv" and "Donetsk", then in the NBA played for "Detroit Pistons" and was in the systems of "Milwaukee Bucks" and "Phoenix Suns".
In addition to sports, Kravtsov is engaged in maritime logistics business. He was married to "Miss Ukraine 2015" runner-up Elina Rudenko, the couple has a daughter Melissa. At the end of April, the STB channel announced him as the new hero of the romantic reality show "The Bachelor".