Mike Fratello’s ties to the former Soviet republic now under Russian attack stretch back to his days as Alexander Volkov’s first NBA coach in the 1980s. They only got deeper from there.
Click here to read Marc Stein’s (The Stein Line) account of how Coach Fratello came to coach Ukraine’s national team.
Ex-Ukrainian basketball coach and Hackensack, N.J. native Mike Fratello is concerned about his former players and country.Getty Images
Mike Fratello remains in touch with associates from his four-year tenure as the Ukrainian national team coach, but in recent days it has been harder to connect since Russian military forces invaded the neighboring country. He is cautious about who and when he calls. “The communication lines have not been the same,” he said. “I worry every day for their safety.” Continue reading article by Kevin Armstrong for NJ.com here: https://www.nj.com/sports/2022/03/fratello-on-ukraine-i-worry-every-day-for-their-safety.html
I am praying for the people of Ukraine. I coached the national team and have many friends there whom I care about. I want them to be safe, and I hope for a peaceful resolution before more lives are lost. 🇺🇦
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After the World Cup draw in Barcelona, Spain I traveled to Kiev for the 2014 Ukraine Cup. Prior to the championship game on Sunday I ran a coaching clinic with four of my assistants, and we had about 160 attendees. Then we watched Budivelnik beat Donetsk for the Ukraine Cup title!
Photo courtesy of Oleksiy Naumov.
The Official Website/Blog of Mike Fratello 