Alex Poythress wins VTB United League championship with Zenit

Alex Poythress is a champion.

Over in Russia this weekend, BC Zenit Saint Petersburg overcame a 3-1 series deficit in the championship round to take down CSKA Moscow to win the VTB United League title. The win marked the first VTB championship for Zenit. As for Poythress, the team’s starting center at 6-foot-8, he finished the closeout Game 7 victory with 13 points, three rebounds, and two assists on a perfect 6-6 shooting mark from the floor.

A hell of an accomplishment for the former four-year Kentucky Wildcat.

What if?? Crazy year for us.

— Alex Poythress (@AlexTheGreat22) June 5, 2022

Poythress has bounced around since graduating from Kentucky in 2016. The Georgia native began his professional career in the NBA, making a few stops in the G League along the way. Poythress played stints with the Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, and Atlanta Hawks, but never stuck. His last game in the United States was with the Erie BayHawks (the New Orleans Pelicans affiliate) in the 2018-19 season.

Since then, Poythress played with the Jilin Northeast Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2019. He then spent the 2019-20 season with Galatasaray of the Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi and eventually joined Zenit in June 2020, where he’s been ever since. He renewed his deal with the club in June 2021.

The VTB United League isn’t loaded with high-end talent, but there is still plenty there. Former NBA players such as Sergey Karasev, Alexey Shved, and Mario Hezonja (who won the league MVP for the season) play in the VTB, as does one-time LSU forward Jordan Mickey, who was teammates with Poythress this season.

Poythress found a steady home with Zenit. He’s been one of the league’s top players this past season, winning MVP for the month of February. That being said, now a free agent, there are reports that he might make leave Russia and make move to Valencia from La Liga in Spain.

Congrats to Alex on a well-deserved accomplishment.