Alex Len

Oleksii Yuriyovych Len, widely recognized as Alex Len, is an accomplished Ukrainian professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born June 16, 1993, in Antratsyt, Luhansk, Ukraine, to his mother Yuliia (a former track runner), Len exhibited a passion for sports and athletics at a young age. While he pursued gymnastics in his early years and enjoyed watching Jackie Chan films, he did not embark on his basketball journey until the age of 13.

His gymnastics training with Oleksii Stepanenko, an esteemed coach who also trained Olympic Gold Medalist Ihor Korobchynskyi, likely contributed to his later success on the basketball court. Len’s basketball debut arrived in his teenage years when he attended Dnipro Higher College in Dnipro, Ukraine, and played for the Ukraine national team in the 2009 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship and the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship.

His talent was undeniably profound, with Len showcasing remarkable scoring, rebounding, and shot-blocking skills in the tournaments. After the Under-18 Championship, he joined BC Dnipro in the Ukrainian Basketball Superleague for the 2010–11 season, marking another milestone in his promising career.

University of Maryland’s initial interest in Len came from assistant basketball coach, Scott Spinelli. Although the University’s head coach, Gary Williams, resigned after the 2010-2011 season, Len was still welcomed into the Maryland Terrapins via an athletic scholarship under newly-appointed coach Mark Turgeon. Despite a shaky start, owing to a ten-game suspension at the beginning of his freshman year, Len made a strong comeback in his sophomore season, excelling against the Kentucky Wildcats (led by ESPN’s top player of the 2012 recruiting class, Nerlens Noel) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Critics identified his potential as a top 5 pick during the upcoming draft, owing to his brilliant performance in the match.

In January 2013, Len delivered a game-winning shot with 0.9 seconds in the game, securing a narrow victory against #14 North Carolina State. Through him, Maryland pulled off an 83–81 victory against the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils in February the same year. Following these performances, Len declared for the 2013 NBA draft, with many experts projecting him as the number one overall pick.

He was eventually selected fifth overall by the Phoenix Suns in 2013, becoming the second international-born player to be picked in this draft, as well as the highest-selected Ukrainian-born player to be drafted in NBA history. This feat broke Vitalii Potapenko’s 1996 record. However, due to ankle surgeries, Len couldn’t partake in the 2013 NBA Summer League.

Continuing his professional journey, Len joined the Atlanta Hawks on a two-year, $8.5 million contract in August 2018. Then in February 2020, along with Jabari Parker, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for Dewayne Dedmon and two 2nd round picks. Although his stint with the Toronto Raptors in the same year was cut short after 13 regular season games, Len found a new team with the Washington Wizards in January 2021. However, he decided to return to the Sacramento Kings later the same year.

Having represented Ukraine at the Under-16 and Under-18 Championships, Len was selected to play for the senior Ukraine national basketball team for the 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Off the court, Len is equally commendable. Together with his mother, they established the Len-d A Hand Foundation, a charity focused on supporting youth in Phoenix, Arizona, and the surrounding areas. Remarkably, Len also saved a friend and a lifeguard from drowning in the Dominican Republic in 2016, demonstrating his agility and quick-thinking both on and off the court.