Vitaly Fridzon


Vitaly Valeryevich Fridzon is a Russian professional basketball player for Zenit Saint Petersburg of the VTB United League and the EuroLeague. He also represents the senior Russian national basketball team. Standing at 1.95 m, he mainly plays at the shooting guard position, but he can also play at the point guard position.

Professional career

Early years

Fridzon started his professional career in the Russian team Standart Toliatti, in 2001, and stayed with them until the end of the 2003–04 season.

Khimki

Fridzon then moved to the prominent Moscow-based team Khimki. With Khimki, he won the Russian Cup in 2007, and the VTB United League championship in 2011, while also being the VTB United League Final Four MVP. A year later, he won the EuroCup 2011–12 season championship, the second-tier level European continental championship, thus giving his team a spot in the upcoming EuroLeague 2012–13 season, after a year of absence from that competition. In the 2012–13 season, he averaged a career-high 11.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, in 24 EuroLeague games. However, Khimki didn't win any trophies that season.

CSKA Moscow

On June 13, 2013, Fridzon signed a two-year contract, with the option for a third season, with the Russian team CSKA Moscow. In his first season with CSKA, in the EuroLeague 2012–13 season, he averaged 7.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game, over 31 games.
In the 2014–15 season, CSKA Moscow managed to advance to the EuroLeague Final Four, for the fourth straight season, after eliminating Panathinaikos for the second straight season. in the quarterfinals series, with a 3–1 series win. However, in the EuroLeague semifinal game, despite being dubbed by media as an absolute favorite to advance, CSKA once again lost to Olympiacos. The final score was 70–68, after a great Olympiacos comeback in 4th quarter, led by Vassilis Spanoulis. CSKA Moscow eventually won the EuroLeague third place game, after defeating Fenerbahçe, by a score of 86–80. Fridzon had nearly the same season, statistically speaking, like his first season with the club, averaging 7.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game, over 23 games played in the EuroLeague. CSKA Moscow finished the season by winning the VTB United League season, after eliminating Khimki, with a 3–0 sweep in the league's finals series.
On June 16, 2016, he re-signed with the team, on a new two-year contract, with the option of another season.
On July 25, 2018, Fridzon and CSKA officially part ways after five seasons.

Lokomotiv Kuban

On July 25, 2018, Fridzon signed a two-year contract with the Russian club Lokomotiv Kuban.

Zenit Saint Petersburg

On July 18, 2020, Fridzon moved to Zenit Saint Petersburg on a one-year contract, marking his return to the EuroLeague.

Russian national team

Fridzon is also a member of the senior Russian national basketball team. He won a bronze medal at the EuroBasket 2011, and a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Career statistics

†Denotes season in which Fridzon's team won the EuroLeague

EuroLeague