The long won the title with the Lakers of Kobe and Shaq in 2001 and 2002: on August 5 those symbols will be sold to raise funds. The goal is to rebuild gyms and sports facilities in Kiev
Patrols on the streets of Kiev, support for checkpoints, a friendly match to raise funds in Poland and, now, even the most precious sports goods at auction. Slava Medvedenko, two Nba champion in 2001 and 2002 with the Lakers of Kobe and Shaq, did not think too much about depriving himself of a piece of soul: the two NBA champion rings will be auctioned on August 5 and, according to estimates , will collect no less than 100 thousand euros each. The proceeds will go to Medvedenko’s Fly High Foundation whose goal is to support Ukrainian children by restoring the sports infrastructure of schools in the country torn apart by the Russian invasion and by launching a network of social sports clubs.
Choice
—
When the former Lakers player climbed onto the roof of a building in the Ukrainian capital and saw the ruin caused by the Russian bombing, he made up his mind: “What’s the point of keeping these rings in the safe? – he asked himself -. I could die tomorrow. We might as well sell them, to help my compatriots and the boys here to live better ”. Perhaps, at that moment, Medvedenko also thought of his children, aged eleven and sixteen, whom he had sent to his grandmother away from Kiev and now called back to the capital: “For 1 month and a half, they called me continuously and asked me:” Dad, can we go home? We want to be with you and mom ”. Now they are with us. We have air alerts almost every day. Sometimes it is three or four times a day. Children are so used to it. They play in our backyard. They don’t even stop playing, they’re used to it ”. The Lakers also took action by sending jerseys and technical material. “Of those Lakers I still hear Mark Madsen and Luke Walton – revealed the long Ukrainian -, for me they are like a big family”.
© REPRODUCTION RESERVED
