Vitali Potapanko, Ukrainian locomotive

Does anyone remember Vitali Potapanko? The man known as the Locomotive of Ukraine.

Vitaly Potapenko, Vitaly Potapenko, 6-foot-10 inches (208 cm), plays as center (C). He was born in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine in March 1975, produced by Wright State University. He was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 12th pick in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft. He played for four teams, namely the Cavaliers, Celtics, Supersonics (now known as the Thunder), and the Kings.

Vitali Potapanko is known for his strong game style. He is strong in shape, has strong ability to fight, has certain offensive skills, and has certain inside offensive methods, such as turning shots, hook shots, etc. However, he moved slowly, lacked defensive awareness, and had poor sense of defensive position, so he was difficult to quickly return to defense and make up for defense. When facing some inside players who were good at supporting, he was easily broken by the opponent's pass, and basically had no ability to shoot mid- and long shots. The offensive area was mainly concentrated in the inside. When facing a contraction of defense, it was difficult to support the team from the outside. In his 11-season NBA career, Vitali Potapanko played 610 games in the regular season, including 189 starts, averaging 19.0 minutes per game, scoring 6.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.3 blocks. He played in a total of 13 games in the playoffs and failed to get a starting opportunity. He averaged 8.9 minutes per game, scoring 2.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.2 assists and 0.2 steals. Although the data looks average, Potapanko also has many highlight moments.

Local time in the United States, on April 19, 1999, in the Boston Celtics lost to the Indiana Pacers 104:120 at home, Vitalie Potapanko started for 41 minutes, made 10 of 21 shots and 6 of 12 free throws, scoring the highest single-game 26 points in the NBA career, plus 16 rebounds and 3 assists. On March 24, 2000 local time, in the Boston Celtics lost to the Philadelphia 76ers 115:117 away game, Vitalie Potapanko started for 40 minutes, 6 points, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, and captured the highest 18 rebounds in a single game in NBA career. In 2007, Vitalie Potapanko officially retired and started his coaching career. He has served as assistant coach for Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Indiana Pacers, Dakota Wizards and Santa Cruz Warriors. In 2016, Potapanko helped the team win the first NBA championship as assistant player development director for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He then joined the Memphis Grizzlies coaching staff. In July 2024, Potapanko joined the Pistons coaching staff as an assistant coach.