History
LIVE HISTORY OF BC KHIMKIBasketball club Khimki was founded on January 5, 1997. The team made its debut in the First League of Russian Championship and confidently took the first place. In season 1998/99, playing in the High League, the team won the first place ahead of time and got the right to play in the Russian Super League.
In 1999-2002 Khimki consolidated its success among best Russian clubs and it twice took the seventh place in National Championship, qualified for European Korac Cup.
In season 2002/03 BC Khimki finished fourth in Russian Championship. In addition, Khimki became the only European season club which could beat at its pitch CSKA Moscow, the champion of Russia and the participant of Final Four Euroleague, scored more than 100 points. Our team also managed to overcome the group stage of European competitions – FIBA Champion Cup – for the first time in its history. The next season BC Khimki got the right to play in Final Four of Russian Cup and in the quarterfinals of FIBA Europe League.
In season 2004/05 foreign players appeared in BC Khimki: the Olympic Games winner and the World Cup prize winner Ruben Wolkowisky, American point guard Melvin Booker and the National team of Venezuela player Oscar Torres. Our team took part in Final Four FIBA Europe League and won bronze medals.
In April 2006 in Khimki Russian Cup final was held. In autumn 2006 a significant event happened. Moscow Region club – the first among the other Russian ones – had a chance to measure swords with the NBA team Los Angeles Clippers.
In January 2007 a famous Lithuanian specialist Kęstutis Kemzūra became the head coach of BC Khimki. In the regular season and playoffs of Russian Championship BC Khimki won bronze medals, coped with Dynamo Moscow. In the off-season of 2007/2008 championship our team was joined by three European champions: guard Anton Ponkrashov, forwards Nikita Shabalkin and Nikita Morgunov. Moreover, by a special decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin Russian citizenship was awarded to Kelly McCarty, who became one of the leaders of the National team of Russia. Fans called him Kolya Makarov.
In season 2007/08 BC Khimki players won their first trophy – Russian Cup. Final Four of Russian Cup was held in Kazan Basket Hall. In final match our team defeated CSKA Moscow with an advantage of 18 points! The best guard of the tournament was Anton Ponkrashov, the best small forward – Kelly McCarty and the MVP title got Macej Lampe. More than that, BC Khimki became a silver medalist of Russian Championship and a silver medalist of Super League Championship as well.
In summer 2008 BC Khimki made a very successful transfer campaign. Our team was reinforced by the following players: the 2004 Olympic Games winner, a bronze medalist of 2008 Olympic Games, a three-fold champion of the NBA regular season Carlos Delfino, and a silver medalist of 2008 Olympic Games, the 2006 World Cup winner, a twofold winner of Italian Championship (2002, 2003), a twofold winner of Italian Cup (2003, 2004) Jorge Garbajosa. In December 2008 a well-known Italian specialist Sergio Scariolo became the head coach of our club. Simultaneously Sergio Scariolo was the head coach of National team of Spain, with which he won European Championship in 2009. As in previous year BC Khimki became a silver medalist of Russian Championship.
In season 2009/2010 BC Khimki made its debut in Euroleague – the most prestigious European club championship. Our club defeated Real (Madrid), Olympiakos (Piraeus, Greece), BC Cibona (Croatia) and Caja Laboral (Spain), joined TOP-16. Earlier BC Khimki was awarded a prestigious prize “Devotion Marketing Awards” (“Best marketing programme”) from ULEB. Our team, being the débutant of Euroleague, gained a victory in 4 out of 5 games. In Russian Championship the team again won silver medals. American guard Keith Langford during the season became the MPV of the fifth round of a Euroleague group stage, the MVP of the sixth round of a Euroleague group stage, and he was considered to be the best player in first three months. Kelly McCarty was a member of the Russian Championship TOP-5 in January 2010. Lithuanian center Robertas Javtokas became the MVP of the first round of Euroleague TOP-16, and Vitaly Fridzon – the best guard of VTB Promo-Cup Final Four.
During 2009 European Championship in Poland Timofey Mozgov became one of the best players. The NBA scouts had an eye on Mozgov and after the end of Russian Championship he signed a three-year contract with the NBA club New York Knicks. Thereby Mozgov became the second playing Russian in NBA and the seventh one in Russian history in general.
Over the ten-year of its history the club managed to build a harmonious and stable structure of a reserve training. In 2006 the School of Olympic Reserve was opened. Made on the basis of BC Khimki Russian cadet team (under Alexey Vadeev, an assistant coach of our first team, and the coach of the second team Valery Sizov) in August 2006 won silver medals of European Championship.
Starting from 1997, the home arena of BC Khimki is the Khimki sports complex “Innovator”. In 2005 on the basis of “Innovator” the basketball centre “Khimki” Moscow region was built. Since its opening in the basketball center an educational and instructional center of Russian arbitrators operates. It is currently recognized as FIBA referees Training Center. A member of FIBA technical committee Miguel Betankor and FIBA sports coordinator Richard Stokes held numerous seminars in BC of Moscow region.
A lot of fans enjoy basketball in Khimki urban district. Cram-full stands create an inexpressible atmosphere in the basketball club when our team is playing.
BC Khimki seasons
1997/1998 – Winner of the First League in Russian Championship
1998/1999 – Winner of the High League in Russian Championship
1999/2000 – Ninth place in Russian Championship
2000/2001 – Seventh place in Russian Championship
Group qualification of Korac Cup
2001/2002 – Seventh place in Russian Championship
Group qualification of Korac Cup
2002/2003 – Fourth place in Russian Championship
Final Four of Russian Cup
Pan-European stage of FIBA Champion Cup
2003/2004 – First place in Russian Championship
Final Four of Russian Cup
FIBA Europe League Play-offs
2004/2005 – Fourth place in Russian Championship
Final Four of Russian Cup
Third place in FIBA Europe League
2005/2006 – Silver medalist of Russian Championship
Bronze medalist of Super League Championship
Russian Cup finalist
European Cup finalist
2006/2007 – Bronze medalist of Russian Championship
Bronze medalist of Super League Championship
2007/2008 – Winner of Russian Cup
Silver medalist of Russian Championship
Silver medalist of Super League Championship
2008/2009 – Silver medalist of Eurocup
Silver medalist of Russian Championship
Silver medalist of Super League Championship
Silver medalist of VTB Promo-Cup
2009/2010 – Silver medalist of Russian Championship
Silver medalist of Super League Championship
Top-16 Euroleague participant
Final Four of VTB Promo-Cup
Final Four of Russian Cup