Basketball club Nizhny Novgorod is the only professional men's basketball team in Nizhny Novgorod and the region. It was founded in 2000 on the basis of the team of the Volzhsky Engineer-Pedagogical Institute. It played in the Russian Third Division. Alexander Khairetdinov became the general director, main coach and doctor. In the 2001–02 season the club was named Nizhegorodsky Basketball Academy, or NBA. Since then it had changed several names: NBA, NBA-Seti-NN, NBA-Telma. After the 2005–06 season the team entered the Superleague B and was called NBA-Nizhny Novgorod. Two seasons in the Superleague B were quite successful for NBA-NN, with the 5th and the 6th places. In 2008–09 the team had all the chances to become one of the three medallists in the Russian championship, but due to many injuries in the end of the season it did not happen, and the team finished only the 7th. In October 2008 there were changes in the management. The new Minister for Investment Policies of Nizhny Novgorod region, Olympic championDmitri Svatkovskiy became the President of the club. Sergei Panov – the twelve times champion of Russia, Euroleague champion, silver medallist of the World and European championships – became the general manager. Serbian coach Zoran Lukic was appointed head coach. With Alexander Khairetdinov remaining general director. Before the season 2009–10 the management worked hard on the players selection ending with the entire changes to the team roster. Experienced professionals such as Nikolay Sukhorukov, Dmitry Dogadin, Evgeny Chernyavsky, Alexander Pustogvar, as well as young, but perspective players: Alexander Pushkon, Ivan Shamov, Andrey Voron were invited to join the team. Universiade 2009 silver medallist Dmitry Golovin and ex-member of the youth CSKA team Dmitry Kulagin were also offered contracts. Aleksander Zaykin and Oleg Baranov from the previous roster remained in the club. Ex-Nizhny Novgorod captain Lev Zorin took an administrative post in the club. Beside this the club changed its name to BC Nizhny Novgorod. By the end of the 2010 season the team took the best result since its foundation – the first place in the Superleague B which respectively granted them the right to play in the elite division of the Russian basketball. The goal for that season of both the management and the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region Valery Shantsev was accomplished. During the 2010–11 season BCNN was among those clubs who had founded the new Russian Professional Basketball League. Also the team played in the EuroChallenge in 2010–11, not having much success though getting new international cup experience. In the Cup of Russia 2010–11 season, for the first time in its history BCNN took part in the Final of the Four winning silver medals with Artem Yakovenko and Dmitry Kulagin named among best players of the tournament. During its first year in the Russian basketball elite division, Nizhny Novgorod took the final fifth place in the Russian championship while Head coach Zoran Lukic became The Coach of the Year in BEKO Professional basketball league. In the 2011–12 season the team failed to enter the play-off of the Russian championship, finishing the season at #9. Though at the same time the team managed to improve its result in the EuroChallenge, playing in its last 16 series. It also debuted in the VTB United League playing it up to 1/8 final. In the 2013–14 season Nizhny Novgorod reached the Finals of the VTB United League, in which it lost 0–3 to CSKA Moscow. Therefore, the team qualified for the 2014–15 EuroLeague regular season. The team, led by Rochestie and Parakhouski, reached the Top 16 over the likes of UNICS and Sassari.
