Vladimir Tkachenko is one of the most famous Russian basketball players of all time. With a towering 2.21 m (7ft 3 in) he was a formidable defensive player with offensive abilities. He began his career at Stroitel, a Ukrainian team, when he was only 16 years old. He later played for Moscow and then a Spanish team. But his international career is what really made him a star. He won several medals with the Soviet national team, including two bronze medals in the Summer Olympics of '76 and '80, a gold medal at the 1982 FIBA World Championship, two silver medals at the same competition on the '78 and '86 editions, among many others.