I wasn’t the one who conducted the interview with Robert Horry, which is why I read it in Russian on Sports.ru first. So I ran the quotes with a disclaimer that they were translated back and forth, and I believe everybody who used it on their blogs understood that.

However, judging by the reader feedback, some people still got confused, and later Horry himself tweeted back to NYT writer Howard Beck that it wasn’t translated right.

I never play with quotes in my stories, and luckily I was able to get a hold of the tape a day later. So here you go. The general message stays the same of course, but obviously there was a lot lost in (double) translation earlier. Also, got to love the Memories playing in the back.

Do you think that rift between Kobe and Shaq could be avoided?

I think Phil Jackson started that rift. Because there was a lot of times when as a team we would come to practice and after practice there’s coach, “Hey, Kobe said this about Shaq, Shaq said this about Kobe”.

And we were looking, like, “How can this be? We were just in the locker room yesterday, laughing and joking with each other. You know, them two laughing and joking with each other. Phil always liked to have controversy.

I tell people all the time, if you go back and you watch the championships, you can always tell who was close on a team, because they are the first ones that hug each other. And Shaq and Kobe were always the first ones to hug each other if we won a championship. So that can solve your rift problem right there. I think it was all media hype for them two to just start some crap.

Who’s the best player you ever played with?

I can’t really say a player, but there are two players. Hakeem Olajuwon and Kobe Bryant. Those are the two best players I ever played with. Things The Dream used to do on the court, for a big man, it was phenomenal. And to play with Kobe, one of the hardest workers I ever seen play the game, which I don’t think he gets enough credit for. He puts in the work, he puts in the time to be the player he is today. So those two guys are, by far, the two best players I ever played with. No disrespect to other greats, but those guys were just a step above everybody else.

UPDATE: The original quotes in English (not double-translated from Russian)

Here’s the most interesting part I think (Please keep in mind that this is English-to-Russian-to-English translation)

Was it possible to avoid the Kobe and Shaq split?

I think Phil Jackson started that feud. It happened many times that after team practice he would say, “Kobe said this about Shaq, and Shaq said that about Kobe… We couldn’t believe how could that happen, because just the day before we saw them together, jumping on one another. Phil liked it when there was conflict of some sort.

I always tell people; if you look at those championships, you’ll see who were the closest players on the team. Normally those are the guys who are the first to hug each other. And when we were winning, it was always Shaq and Kobe who hugged. I think this will answer your question. Later it was blown out of proportion by the media and both players started doing something that didn’t make sense.

Well, does it sound like a crazy thing? To ruin the chemistry of your team on purpose. Though I used to read about theater directors who would do exactly this – create tension within their troupe so that the actors don’t stall emotionally and sparks would fly on stage. With Zen Master you never know.

One other bit from the interview:

Who is the best player that you ever played with?

I would say Hakeem Olajuwon and Kobe Bryant. The things The Dream could do on the floor were phenomenal for a big man. And the dedication that I saw in Kobe, I didn’t see in anywhere else. And I think that he’s not given enough credit for this: he has spent a lot of time and energy to become what he is now. I don’t want to offend anybody, but those two stay above everybody else.

On December 26, Timofey Mozgov wrote this on his personal blog at Sports.ru:

After the morning practice team captain gave every rookie a gift that was indeed worthy of a captain — these exact backpacks)) And then he used his captain word and ordered that the rookies never part with them during the entire season. Also he has put some interesting content inside, so that the guys wouldn’t be too sad.

 

 
The guys, of course, were taken aback at first, almost got depressed and felt terribly shy. And we were cheering them up, teasing them, so to say. I am lucky, after all – nothing like this was happening last year… Or am I not?! I didn’t get a backpack…))

The photo features a Hello Kitty backpack and its content is easily recognizable.

About two weeks later, on January 6th, Mozgov blogged about a Nuggets road trip and wrote:

By the way, rookies are still carrying the backpacks that captain gave them everywhere they go. There are strict rules about it here, so there’s no way to dodge)))

Obviously pranks were frequent in the Nuggets locker room early in the season. Here’s one by the team staff: each international player got a national flag placed next to his name on the locker.

This is a flag of Lithuania, where Ty Lawson was playing for Zalgiris Kaunas during the offseason. Abroad, Lawson “had bubbly guts” the whole time and lost weight, and also had a teammate who would smoke a cigarette after a game.

- There’s nothing concrete. In theory, I may end up on any of the thirty NBA rosters.

- But you should have some priorities. What’s going to be more important – an opportunity to contend for a championship, or whatever is better for the family, or the sum of contract?

- If I leave for the NBA, it’s definitely not going to be for the money. I’ve made a good amount over my career already. So team aspirations will be the defining factor. It should either be a contender or a promising team that is able to contend in near future and is not an outsider.

- If you decide to leave, what will your feelings be then?

- That’s what hurts. Even though I knew this time would come. And we have agreed that I would leave CSKA during the season. But from a moral standpoint it will be a hard thing to do. This is why I still didn’t make a final decision whether to go or to stay. I think that I will use up all the time that I have – according to the contract, decision should be made before January 9th.

I have spent a lot of time at CSKA, and playing here took a lot of energy and effort. My teammates, coaches and fans believe in me. And then, to just wave your hand in a second, “OK, I’m going…” I don’t know. It’s really hard to make a decision. I’m not going to rush, that’s for sure.

My career depends on this decision. I will think over everything and weigh all the nuances very carefully. It’s possible that my next contract will be my last. And I’m not a player who’s close to finishing his career. I’m in good shape and there’s a lot of interest in me.

I don’t need a contract to make money as a basketball player for one last time. I want to play, to fight for a title and to be giving significant help to my team.

This is all a bit weird after what ESPN reported a few days back:

(Kirilenko’s original asking price — four years, $40 million — came as major sticker shock to a lot of teams. He’s lowered the price significantly over the past few days (three years, $26.5 million), but now that the Pacers moved on to West, he’s in a bit of a quandary. The Jazz would like him back and other teams, like the Nets and Kings, have shown interest. But so far no teams are biting.

So actually it’s about the money too, otherwise somebody would have picked him up by now.

At the moment Kirilenko is practicing with CSKA Moscow, sticking to non-contact drills because his shoulder still hurts from that fall. (He passed out instantly after he caught an elbow to the face, that’s why the fall was so awkward). Kirilenko says the shoulder is bothering him more than his broken nose – he will soon be able to play without a protective mask.

Head coach of the New York Knicks Mike D’Antoni has appeared in a book that was recently published in Italy.

“And so… Towards a New Adventure!” by the coach Franco Casalini with an afterword by Mike D’Antoni is about Olimpia Milano basketball team. It’s subtitled as: “1978-1990: the team of our lives”, and those are exactly the 12 seasons that D’Antoni spent playing for Milano as one of the top point guards in Europe.

Here’s the description of the book (Google-translated):

“History and especially stories of the golden age of Italian basketball, from the late seventies to all of the eighties. Period that coincides with the construction, the rise and triumph of an extraordinary team: Olimpia Milano in its various names (Billy, Simac, Tracer, Philips).

Mike D’Antoni, Dino Meneghin, Bob McAdoo, John Gianelli, Riccardo Pittis, Antoine Carr, Roberto Premier, CJ Kupec, Dino and Franco Boselli, Vittorio Gallinari, Mike Sylvester, Ken Barlow, Victor Ferracini, Renzo Bariviera, Russ Schoene and others appear to be protagonists in these pages, written in the style and ironic self-mocking Milan coach.

Avoiding the rhetoric of self-affirmation and minimizing the effect of nostalgia, the book is aimed at those who in those days was the younger audience and know Casalini mainly as a TV reporter”

Coach Casalini’s website says the book hits the stands on Dec 1, 2011 and will soon be available as an eBook.

These school kids clearly did when Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov attended their gym class last week to teach. According to twitter feed of Team Prokhorov, the videos were uploaded by the kids themselves.

Real action starts about 40 seconds in:

No word yet if this may affect Deron Williams’s decision on staying with the Nets.

I mean, chernykh.wordpress.com. It is run by me, Alexander Chernykh, a professional sportswriter from Russia who had his 15 seconds of international fame for getting the original “will play in Europe for $50 million” and “you cut the check, and I’ll bring my Nike checks” quotes out of Kobe Bryant.

Now it IS a shameless plug, but hopefully I got your attention now. I used to add a foreword in italics to previous translations, but apparently it didn’t work, so a lot of people are still leaving personal messages to Mozgov in comments to posts. I re-sent those to Timo via his agent, but still… Probably the lack of design whatsoever on this website is also misleading, I’m about to tweak that.

Feedback is what makes this blog going, please just keep in mind that you’re not writing to Timofey.

One year in, and I still get asked if these are legit blog posts by Mozgov or are they made up. They are legit.

Mozgov runs his blog at Sports.ru which has a booming social network built in. Blogger lineup includes Andrei Kirilenko (blog taken hostage by his wife) and the new Lakers’s assistant coach and European great Ettore Messina (who blogs in English). TV announcer Oleg Ushakov was hired as a GM of Russian national team that won bronze at Eurobasket. Another journalist Dmitry Materanskiy is now a member of the Nets. Hey, I blog there too! Sure makes you wait for that email from Jay-Z.

Anyway, from now on I have decided to run Mozgov translations as quotes to avoid confusion, even though sometimes it’s a translation of the whole post. Thing is, even though I often want to do like other bloggers and only use part of the text, but Mozgov’s prose is so well-structured and I don’t want to ruin it, so I end up not sleeping until 3 AM and translating the whole thing (Sports.ru doesn’t mind and we actually started using my translations on the English version of the website. So, it’s official.).

Another thing that bothers me other than getting a reputation of a Mozgov impostor is the quality of translation. Well, I have a university degree in international relations, but it doesn’t by any means make me capable of translating Leo Tolstoy’s works. Mozgov is very well-read and is always creative with his writing, throwing in some slang and bookish words, so it’s not an easy task. I try to keep it as close as possible but sometimes the result is too word-for-word. Also, I never lived abroad and I only have this much free time for revising. So, some of those weird little phrases are really on Mozgov’s part, and some are due to translation. Whenever you think, “Now, this is not in English” – well, yeah, it’s really not.

Now enough with the disclaimers and over the top self-promotion. Here’s what you all came here for. This is Timofey Mozgov’s recent post in its entirety, up to the last set of closing parentheses (which stand for smileys).

The End!

Hi everyone! So tell me, are you celebrating already?))) It’s still hard to believe, right? Just like that – abruptly and spontaneously, yes? 148 days and there you go! The end!!!

Actually, guys (and your female comrades-in-arms), please take my most sincere congratulations. All of us together – colleagues, people who love and value basketball, fans – without a doubt, have eagerly waited for these strokes of the pens which are exactly golden for all of us. It happened at last.

Now I’m going to reduce my emotions a little and tell you about this fact from a perspective of a player. My personal take.

148 days is a long time. It’s very long. Of course I won’t say this time I was on pins and needles. But I definitely wanted certainty. I really missed it. The prospect of having to pack your bags any time or having to look at them unpacked, to tell you the truth, wasn’t making me happy. Well, I think it’s clear. It’s good that the new agreement is in place for no less than five years, now it’s known. It means that this nightmare won’t repeat soon.

Aside from that, everything was not just OK – everything was just SUPER! My agent (yes, I mean Max – now you have seen his photo at last))) and me have made a decision that was the only one that’s right in my opinion: as soon as lockout showed itself, we have started to play in Europe.

When many of the guys across the ocean tormented themselves with painful doubts about all the delights of their remote and not so remote future, the other part of American basketball planet was keeping shape and making it better in field conditions. I don’t know which of these is good for Mozgov and which is bad for Kobe Bryant. For me the answer is obvious. Huge thanks to Khimki and, of course, to Viktor Bychkov personally, for taking me back with arms wide open. Thanks go to Rimas Kurtinaitis, who believed in me and let me do on the court what some of the NBAers really came to the Old World for – make progress.

Only during the start of the season in Russia I, at last, managed to completely forget about the consequences of that injury which I sustained overseas. When I learned about the diagnosis at the time, I was happy that, so to say, everything was fine and I was lucky that it wasn’t worse. It really could have been worse and it was really a good reason for rejoicing. But that everything was fine… Because of emotions then I rushed into a conclusion a little bit.

All in all, I really was able to step on the court soon after the injury, but even during the Eurobasket I still couldn’t use my leg at least 80% – I was lacking quickness and explosive speed.

The original projection by the doctors proved to be true: as they promised, half a year passed before I settled into shape in September or October. Then I could once again start doing what a center should. Also, I really got into rhythm, got my confidence back and learned some new things. So I can repeat myself – everything was done right.

Of course I knew that Khimki is my second home and I am always welcome here. It wasn’t a hard choice for me. But still, it was so nice to feel it again, to feel yourself at home: my native city, my native arena, the locker room, fans and friends! Everything is so dear, what I’m used to… Here, in this club, all the needed conditions are in place for this. Here’s a huge thank you to all people who were involved.

Here I’m writing this and I caught myself thinking that I got carried away with saying thanks and the memories. It resembles a goodbye a little bit. But I’m flying away not tomorrow. And, it seems, not the day after tomorrow either. So it means that it’s too early for goodbyes. Emotions …

First of all, Max is waiting for the official letter from Denver. Then all my future plans will get some tangible qualities. Second, anyway, I wanted to say goodbye to my fans and friends as it should be done. Because their support all this time was just great! And for that, once again, I’m very grateful.

Don’t ask me if I already got to talk to anybody of my American friends and teammates, to discuss what happened. Believe me, right now few people (other than Twitter fans))) care about text messages and calls – everybody is about to get snowed under with work. OK, we’ll move to all of that a bit later.

What can I add about the collective bargaining agreement. Of course, it’s already good that it’s signed)) And it’s twice as good that it’s definitely for more than five years. It means that this nightmare won’t repeat itself soon.

Actually, right now I know just as much as you do. I know that we are starting to prepare for the season on December 9 and our first game will happen after the 25th. Basically, there’s enough time for restoring the mutual understanding between teammates. It’s another deal what roster changes will happen and still, in what shape will the players join the team. Then we’ll have at least a remote idea of what lies ahead before us in the upcoming season.

But it’s clear even now that 66 games lie ahead. Yes, it’s not 82 games. But still, it’s not few. Especially over such period of time.

So, we’ll be following the news coming from the Nuggets. And right now I’m leaving to Greece with Khimki to play a Eurocup game vs. PAOK which is very important for us. So all of my thoughts are already there.
We’ll keep in touch)))

Unquote!

Having watched Mozgov play since summer, first at Eurobasket and then in the Russian league, it was obvious that he was getting in shape gradually. He looked heavy and slow and was blamed by Team Russia’s head coach David Blatt, who said that it doesn’t matter where you sit on the bench all season, in the NBA or not. Good to hear that injury has played a part, and that now those problems are gone.

Try this link to watch the game from two days ago – it doesn’t work on my laptop right now for some reason, though it normally does. Khimki’s coach chose this game against a modest team Spartak from Vladivostok to give his 12th player and kept Mozgov on the bench. By the middle of 3rd quarter it became clear that a loss is very possible, so the coach put Mozgov in the game and asked him to be Superman. Mozgov got the ball on every posession and went Wilt on Spartak, scoring 20 points in just 14 minutes.

Mozgov is averaging 15.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in Russian league and 14.5 + 4.5 in Eurocup  (check stats of NBA players overseas at DraftExpress)

Nuggets fans, are you waiting?

Well-forgotten old

Still, it’s a tremendous feeling – to play shoulder to shoulder with teammates who you have every reason to call your friends. It’s been more than two weeks since I’ve started practicing with my new-old team. It’s super! Hi everyone!))

All in all, right now it feels as if I’ve never left Khimki. I still drive the same roads to practices, I enter the same locker room, I step on the same hardwood that I know very well and there I meet people who I know very well…

Sometimes this feeling seems a bit strange to me. As if NBA was just a dream. And now I woke up. But then I see another piece of news about the lockout and it instantly reminds me of, so to say, the essence of my existence)))

Alla and me have already made ourselves at home in Khimki during the summer. But it turned out we’re still not ready for the winter yet. It gets cold outside, and we don’t have any warm clothes at our apartment. Really, I feel myself like an import player!))) Don’t you find it so? Yeah, I’m saying the same thing – I’m thinking about the freezing weather and buying some proper clothes))

It’s just lockout that upset our plans. One time it’s about the season to start on time, and then it’s not. Then they say the talks will last for half a year, then that the whole season will be cancelled… So here we are guessing whether we should bring our warm clothes here or that we could get along with what we buy there. It seems that we’ll be bringing it, after all.

I feel completely comfortable on the team already. I’ve learned every set play; I got to know and made friends with the guys who I didn’t know before. And right now I can say that we have an amazing atmosphere in our locker room! And I have switched from American basketball to European almost completely. There are some nuances, of course, which still demand some extra attention – it’s not automatic yet. Working the screens, for example. Then I will foul less.

All in all, I feel normal physically. But emotionally… It seems like I can do anything almost with my eyes closed (this time it is automatic). But inside, there’s emptiness. A basketball devastation. There’s a colossal mental fatigue after the Eurobasket. And only now, in this new atmosphere and setting, national team players start to “come alive” little by little.

If you are waiting for me to tell you about the Euroleague qualifiers in Charleroi* – then, don’t wait))) This is already something that’s in the past for our club. It turned out as it did, why should we talk about it now? I mean that everything was already said and clarified not once. And not even twice.

And today a new phase of the tournament starts for us. A new one, with a new set of goals. It’s clear that on paper it can’t be done, but inside you want to start it from scratch, and make new history. The only thing that I remind myself about Charleroi is warm weather and… a strange arena, to say the least, where the court was covered with some fog.

Also, for example, during the second game our locker room was located… outside, inside a trailer. It had all the service, but it still was very much like a site hut. And we made our way inside the arena under a shed.

In conclusion, I say hi to Kayumych**! Just like you asked…))

* Khimki lost the qualifier and will play in second-tier Eurocup instead of Euroleague.

** One of the Mozgov’s blog readers/commenters at Sports.ru, check out the original post to see Mozgov’s photo wearing a hat that the fan gave him.

Hi! Here’s what I’m going to tell you about today. As you know, everybody who loves basketball has to make one very difficult choice sooner or later. Though for some people this dilemma is not that complicated. But anyway, one has to make the choice. And every NBA rookie has to make a decision on a mandatory basis right in the very beginning of his career. Sportswear manufacturers offer a personal contract to absolutely every rookie. I have one too, with Nike. I’m talking about choosing the shoes…

I wanted to tell you about it back in New York, but somehow I never got around to it)) Sorry, I’m making up for it now. So…

It may seem strange to Europeans, but here in the League, all the players, even those who are just starting, have a personal relationship with sportswear manufacturers. No matter how much stardom a player has, the companies consider it their professional duty to make it so that “even that new guy” represents their brand. It doesn’t matter how much playing time he gets and what year of his contract it is, because he’s already a part of the elite club, the NBA. And this already means a lot in America.

For example, I signed my contract with Nike on October 11. And I played my first game, as I recall, only on 27th. But here it’s normal.

Another thing is that the essence of a contract with a superstar and with a newcomer is significantly different. That’s a fact! The higher you climb up the Olympus, the more conditions there are, it terms of exactly money payments. In the beginning it’s an exchange deal. Which means, a player promises to wear Nike shoes everywhere (unless when it’s against the rules set by the dress code of the League, more on this a bit later), and the company to generously equip him for it. Let me explain some of the nuances using myself as an example.

So. Right now I’m not getting any money from them directly. Yes, in my contract there are generous bonuses for all sorts of individual achievement – getting on the list of the top players of the week, top rookie lists, Rookie of the Year award, and so on. And also for game performance: points, minutes, rebounds, blocked shots… So, for almost every positive stat on the boxscore.

Or, let’s say, for the team reaching the playoffs if I’m a part of it. I won’t speak about the regular season, but to make it clear, I’ll use the playoffs for an example. I will receive compensation if the club reaches the Conference semifinals, while Mozgov averages no less than 15 minutes on the court for the entire series. That’s how it works. The regular season performance is evaluated using the same principle. Got it? Everything else is like that.

But regardless of that, I still have an impressive amount of money on my account, which can be used for purchasing sportswear and equipment. Here’s how it works.

Nike has a division called Nike Elite. They set up a personal account for me on their website, and it has a positive balance, that is mentioned in the contract. I’m logging in using my password and may check the stock now. And I should mention that not only sportswear is available there, but the casual clothes mane by the manufacturer too. As far as I know, a well-known American designer designs it exclusively for Nike.

So I log in, check out the goods, make a choice, make an order, confirm it and after a few days I already get the parcel with my order at home. It’s very convenient!!!

Also, I have a so-called Nike ID. Although the service is not available for Russians and other Europeans, but I think you have heard about it a lot. This is the “trick”, when every resident of the States may order personally custom-made shoes, backpacks, clothing or goods with a different “engraving”. By the way, I remember Booker in Khimki played in shoes with his last name on it.

So what’s expected from me? Basically, it’s simple. As it’s easy to guess, I have to wear Nike shoes always and everywhere. I make a reservation about the shoes, because the league directly is sponsored by adidas. And that company is providing us with all the sportswear that we have to wear during every practice and game. The rules only allow us to choose the shoes. And we can also wear something else that belongs to our personal contracts if it’s not mentioned as a “franchise gear”.

But outside the court, yeah: it’s Nike, everywhere, completely, and entirely. Be it a walk in the city or streetball on the court near your place. What do I say, even fulfilling the desire to shoot the ball alone in your backyard)))

An exception, like I said, is the NBA dress code… During all the official activities of the League – including, of course, the games – we have wear civilian clothes. No tracking suits, otherwise there’s a fine! Because of that, like I said before, I have a lot of clothes made for me here. Not so long ago I have visited a very-very large shop (maybe the largest in the world) of big shoes. Right away I bought myself seven pairs of cool shoes there)))

My agreement with Nike is signed for the entire term of my first NBA contract. It also spelled out my mandatory participation in promotions of the company. None of them happened yet. But as far as I know, they have something planned for the summer in Russia, as a part of League activities. So expect me, guys – I think there’s a chance we’ll see each other in May or June already))

But anyway: why did I choose Nike? It was historically established. I played wearing these shoes in Khimki and on the national team. I even have a favorite model. Though they took it out of production some time ago. But now it’s available for orders again for some reason. I don’t know if it’s a special event or something. But I’m happy!

Also, just a few days ago (right before the injury) I tried Durant’s new model. I liked it a lot!!! So I’ll be wearing it for now. It feels great!

There was an offer from adidas too. My American agent has a close relationship with them, and most of his clients wear those shoes. Batum, for example. They also said that they recently signed Kirilenko. So, a second Russian would be very interesting to them – a great PR move! But we decided otherwise.

By the way, back when I was a Knicks player I got to visit one of the largest Nike shops in the world. It’s located in Portland. And it’s very (!) big. I bought a couple sweaters there. Of course, all the prices are almost twice lower than normal. Anyway, that money too was written off my account.

Our equipment manager told me about the shop even before we left for the airport in New York. In Portland they arranged a bus for anybody who wanted to visit the shop, and five guys from our team went there.

In general, players approach choosing the shoes not like in Europe. They are changing them a lot and are always trying new models. Probably from force of habit, I still like the worn in shoes. It’s more comfortable for me. And if in the Old World most of the players love Nike and only a few basketball players prefer adidas, then here it’s not only these two brands, but also it happens that you see Peak and Converse. And Shaq is running around, it seems, in Chinese Lifan)))

Hi friends!

Right after the basketball extravaganza in Los Angeles I started to prepare a post for you, which I never managed to finish in time. I guess now you understand why. There’s so much hassle going on that I just had no energy to write the last several paragraphs – no physical, no emotional energy left. Now the situation has stabilized a bit so I can go back to that topic.

Some time has passed already, but I decided not to rewrite anything according to chronological order. I’ll just put a label on this post – so to say, “Works that went unpublished. In time”)) So read my original version…

… Let me try and guess. You are waiting for my impressions from the All-Star Weekend in Los-Angeles. I understand that. But to tell the truth, at that same time I had my own no less fabulous weekend in Vegas – me and Alla… got married!!!)))

We didn’t make a secret of our plans, but didn’t want to spread the news either. So right now you will be among the first to learn about it. It looks like this blog post is a real media excusive))) So, I’ll share my impressions with you.
I’ll tell you right away: it turned out to be really fun! Because it was spontaneous. Now, of course we were going to Vegas with a goal set)) I proposed to Alla about a month and a half ago. At home, but in a very romantic setting. So, the way it has to be done))) And we wanted the wedding to be beautiful too. But…

We’ve checked in at the hotel. Talked to the concierge and asked for the addresses of churches. We went to check it out, but weren’t excited about any of them. We came back to the hotel. We have explained the situation and in response heard that everything could be done even right there at the hotel. Of course we were really happy! We’ve checked out a couple more halls and chose an open place with the summerhouses. But that was when the most interesting part started)))

Having decided to run the ceremony the next morning, we started to ask about the documents. In a few days Alla had a trip to Moscow already scheduled. So we needed to get the marriage certificate right away. And here’s what they told us. “If you marry tomorrow, on Saturday, there’s an off-day on Sunday. Then, on Monday, they will send it to you to New York by mail. It will arrive in about ten days or so”. They said it used to be possible here in Vegas to marry in one day, anytime 24 hours a day. But later that rule was canceled.

Of course it didn’t suit us. There was only one way out of it. It turned out, if we carry through with everything today, then we can get the cherished document tomorrow. Literally abandoning everything, we jumped into the limo dressed right as we were. Me – in a tracksuit, which I was wearing to look around the city. Alla – not in a white dress either)))

I guess Alla didn’t dream of her wedding since childhood to be like this)) But, trust me, to plan everything, to make it more thought-over here, in the NBA, with those off-schedule of unplanned events would be just impossible. Any time you can be called up to another clinic or a PR event. So, if you have a day off it can be like you don’t have it. So in the end we were happy that we didn’t marry in New York on the go, between the games, but made a special trip somewhere and have this ceremony.

By the way, we were never going to bring a big crowd. We wanted to spend a weekend together, just two of us. So people who knew about the wedding were only the closest friends – parents and a few friends. Of course, during the off-season we are going to bring together all of our dear guests in Russia. We really want to party and celebrate this event the way it should be done. Only we don’t know where exactly. Alla’s friends and relatives live in Moscow, and my parents in Krasnodar. So we’re thinking about it!

So we jumped into the limo and went to that exact chapel where Michael Jordan, Bruce Willis, Frank Sinatra, Demi Moore, Britney Spears said their vows… We started to take pictures. And then… Of course it couldn’t go without any adventures now – camera battery ran out. Somehow we managed to make a couple shots. The rest, we had to take pictures with a mobile phone))

The ceremony itself has reminded us a lot of… going to a McAuto!))) Right in our limo we drove to a certain entrance. The driver has put down our window. There a special guy was already waiting. I need to say, that that character (he’s definitely not a priest, but it’s hard for me to call him any other way) had a remarkable appearance. But he great country of United States has given him the necessary privileges, so he looked inside the window and proclaimed us to be wife and husband! What do you want – this is Las Vegas))) That’s how!)))

Later we’ve left the car eventually, to take pictures on that nice alley. By the way, we don’t have the rings yet. Only Alla – the one from the engagement. We’ll make them for sure a bit later.

Then we managed to walk around Vegas a bit. During those days we went to Cirque du Soleil and tried the famous rollercoaster. There is one, the one that is really high and goes right through a hotel. We’ve checked the legendary casinos. Even tried it to feel what it’s like to be a gambler))) Of course, we bet only a very small amount. Maybe that’s why we ended up making a whole of 700 dollars))

If I knew that a surprise like that trade was lying ahead, I would go from Vegas right to Denver… (((

But we have returned to New York and went back to consulting with the lawyers. By the way, their services here are terribly expensive! First, they are settling all the paperwork so that our marriage is recognized everywhere in the world. Second, Alla is taking my last name. Only she will do it in Russia, because in the US last names are not declinable. So in order for her not to become Alla Mozgov we will go through this procedure at our homeland.

By the way, thank you very much for he greetings – I’ve read your comments under the news piece! See you soon, friends. Your really grown-up, family man Tima Mozgov)))