The Soviet basketball legend Vladimir Tkachenko was born 20 September, 1957 in Sochi, Soviet Union. The 220-centimeters-tall center was one of the greatest centers of his generation, winning several international titles and accolades. During his career, the Soviet giant played for Stroitel Kiev (1974-1982), CSKA Moscow (1983-1990) and Guadalajara Basket (1990-1991) teams.
The 17-year-old Tkachenko made his debut in the Soviet League in 1974, helping the Stroitel team to win the bronze medals. Unlike the legendary Soviet giant of the previous era – Jānis Krūmiņš, who was known purely for his impressive strength, Tkachenko was also a very quick and well-coordinated player for his size, being a solid shooter, who often could hit mid-range shots, as well as occasional three-pointers.
In the following years, Tkachenko quickly became the central figure in the Stroitel roster, helping the Kiev’s side to win several silver medals in the Soviet League. He also helped his team to win the bronze medals in the 1981/82 Saporta Cup edition, averaging 19.4 points per game. His stellar performances put him under the CSKA Moscow radar. Their rivals, Žalgiris Kaunas had the rising center – Arvydas Sabonis, on their roster. Tkachenko was seen as the potential Sabonis-stopper, and it was somewhat a true for a while.
CSKA drafted Tkachenko and he joined the Moscow’s leading side in 1983, immediately making an impact and winning his first Soviet League title. His duels with Sabonis became a legendary basketball spectacle for the fans, who could enjoy the CSKA-Žalgiris rivalry for years. The following season, Tkachenko made his EuroLeague debut, scoring 185 points in 12 games, averaging 15.4 points per game. In total, he played two seasons in the EuroLeague, scoring 218 points in 22 games, averaging 9.9 points per game.
On the international stage, Tkachenko was a regular member of the Soviet Union national team for more than a decade. He played in two Olympic Games (1976, 1980, winning the bronze medals both times, as well as becoming the World champion in 1982, and a three-time Eurobasket winner (1979, 1981, 1985). In total, Tkachenko played 72 games in the major tournaments, scoring 839 points and averaging 11.7 points per game.
In the mid-80’s, injuries began to seriously bother Tkachenko and his career began to slowly fade as Sabonis became a clear number one option in the national team. He eventually retired in 1990, at the age of 33 just before the collapse of the Soviet Union. In his EuroLeague, Saporta Cup, Korac Cup, and international games from 1976 to 1990, Tkachenko scored 1481 points in 127 games.
ACCOLADES
Olympic Games (1976, 1980)
FIBA World Cup (1982)
FIBA World Cup (1978, 1986) Eurobasket (1979, 1981, 1985) Eurobasket (1977, 1987) FIBA Saporta Cup (1982, 1986, 1987) FIBA Korac Cup (1990) USSR Premier League (1983, 1984, 1988, 1990) USSR Premier League (1977, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987) USSR Premier League (1974, 1989)
EUROLEAGUE STATISTICS
Year
84/85
88/89
TOT
Team
Age
28
32
GP
12
10
22
PPG
15.4
3.3
9.9
PTS
185
33
218
RNK
19th
82nd
FIBA SAPORTA CUP STATISTICS
Year
81/82
85/86
86/87
TOT
Team
Age
25
29
30
GP
8
8
6
22
PPG
19.4
11.8
11.5
14.5
PTS
155
94
69
318
TRK
FIBA KORAC CUP STATISTICS
Year
89/90
TOT
Team
Age
33
GP
11
11
PPG
9.6
9.6
PTS
106
106
TRK
SOVIET LEAGUE STATISTICS
Year
78/79
TOT
Team
Age
22
GP
22
22
PPG
24.8
24.8
PTS
546
546
TRK
OLYMPIC GAMES STATISTICS
Year
1976
1980
TOT
Team
Age
19
23
GP
7
7
15
PPG
11.9
13.4
11.8
PTS
83
94
177
RNK
22nd
28th
FIBA WORLD CUP STATISTICS
Year
1978
1982
1986
TOT
Team
Age
21
25
29
GP
8
8
5
21
PPG
14.5
12.1
6.2
11.6
PTS
116
97
31
244
RNK
24th
27th
139th
EUROBASKET STATISTICS
Year
1977
1979
1981
1985
1987
TOT
Team
Age
20
22
24
28
30
GP
7
8
8
6
7
36
PPG
14.4
15.1
10.9
6.7
9.9
11.6
PTS
101
121
87
40
69
418
RNK
18th
11th
33rd
80th
48th
Description for statistics
FIBA Saporta Cup is the same competition, as FIBA European Cup Winners’ Cup, ULEB Cup or EuroCup, a 2nd-tier European Cup competition. FIBA Korac Cup is the same competition as FIBA EuroChallenge, a 3rd-tier European Cup competition. GP – Games played PPG – Points per game PTS – Total points RNK – Individual scoring ranking TRK – Team ranking
Fiero Sportivo 