Oleksiy Yuriyovych Len ( uk, Олексій Ю́рійович Лень; born June 16, 1993), commonly known as Alex Len (), is a Ukrainian professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA). Before being drafted, he played two seasons for the

Maryland Terrapins The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Divis ...

(then in the Atlantic Coast Conference) as well as a season with Dnipro in his home nation's top professional basketball league.

Early life

Len was born in

Antratsyt Antratsyt or Antratsit (; ) is a city in the Luhansk region of Ukraine. Until 1962 it was known as Bokove-Antratsyt. The city is located in the southern part of the Luhansk Oblast (region). Antratsyt is incorporated as a city of oblast significa ...

Luhansk Luhansk (, ; uk, Луганськ, ), also known as Lugansk (, ; russian: Луганск, ), is a city in what is internationally recognised as Ukraine, although it is administered by Russia as capital of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). A ...

, Ukraine to a mother named Yulia, who ran track early in her life. Growing up, Len participated in

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shou ...

and liked watching

Jackie Chan Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...

films. As a young gymnast, Len was trained by Oleksiy Stepanenko, who had also trained Olympic gold medalist

Ihor Korobchynskyi Igor Korobchinski ( uk, Коробчинський Ігор Олексійович, ''Ihor Korobchynskyi''; born 16 August 1969) is a former gymnast that represented the Soviet Union, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Ukraine Ukrai ...

. He started playing basketball at the age of 13 and later attended Dnipropetrovsk Higher College in Dnipropetrovsk,

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

. He played for the Ukraine national team at the 2009 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship and the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship, where during the 2010 tournament, he was the fourth-best overall scorer, second-best rebounder, and the best shot blocker. Following the tournament, Len joined

BC Dnipro Basketball Club Dnipro ( uk, баскетбольний клуб "Дніпро"), commonly known as simply Dnipro, is a Ukrainian professional basketball club that is based in Dnipro. The home court of the club is Palace of Sports Shynnik. The wome ...

of the

Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague The Ukrainian Basketball SuperLeague (USL) ( uk, Українська баскетбольна суперліга) is the first-tier level of professional basketball league in Ukraine. Established in 1992, the league is currently contested by 10 c ...

for the 2010–11 season.

College career

Len was recruited by then Maryland assistant basketball coach,

Scott Spinelli Scott Spinelli is an American college basketball coach. Spinelli is most notorious for his unique recruiting abilities, as he has sent a total of five unranked recruits to the NBA from three different schools. Playing career Scott Spinelli was b ...

. He was the recipient of an athletic scholarship from the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

coach

Gary Williams Gary Bruce Williams (born March 4, 1945) is an American university administrator and former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, the Ohio State University, Boston College, and American University. I ...

, but Williams resigned after the 2010–11 season.

Mark Turgeon Mark Leo Turgeon (born February 5, 1965) is an American college basketball coach. Turgeon served as the head men's basketball coach at Jacksonville State University from 1998 to 2000, Wichita State University from 2000 to 2007, Texas A&M Univ ...

was hired to take his place. While Williams began recruiting Len, it was Turgeon and Spinelli who eventually lured him to Maryland. Len underachieved in his freshman year, averaging 6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game, but showed lottery pick potential after serving a ten game suspension at the beginning of the year due to

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

amateurism issues resulting from his play with BC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, a European club team from his home nation. Len opened his sophomore season on November 9, 2012, against the reigning champion

Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...

, led by ESPN's #1 player of the 2012 recruiting class,

Nerlens Noel Nerlens Noel (born April 10, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His collegiate basketball career ended in his first season with a tear of his anterior cruciate ...

. The game was played at the brand-new Barclays Center in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. Len overpowered Noel throughout the entire game, scoring 23 points with 12 rebounds and 4 blocks, while holding Noel to just four points, although Kentucky won the game 72–69. Following the game, there was talk that Len could potentially be a top 5 pick in the upcoming draft. On January 16, 2013, Len scored 10 points, including a game-winning shot with 0.9 seconds in the game, upsetting #14

North Carolina State North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The unive ...

with a 52–50 win. On February 16, 2013, Len again played a starring role, leading Maryland to an 83–81 upset victory over the top ranked

Duke Blue Devils The Duke Blue Devils are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina. Duke's athletics department features 27 varsity teams that all compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association ...

. Len put up 19 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks, while holding Duke star senior

Mason Plumlee Mason Alexander Plumlee (born March 5, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily plays the forward and center positions. As a freshman in 2009–10, h ...

to four points. He went on to average 11.9 points per game in 38 total games that season. On April 14, 2013, Len decided to declare for the 2013 NBA draft. He was projected to land in the lottery, with some experts projecting Len as the #1 overall pick. On May 3, 2013, Len ended up getting surgery on his left ankle that resulted in him being out for several months, ultimately causing him to sit out from the 2013 NBA Summer League.

Professional career

Phoenix Suns (2013–2018)

2013–14 season

Len was selected fifth overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2013 NBA draft. Len was the second international-born player to be selected in that draft, behind the first overall selection in

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

-born Anthony Bennett, as well as the highest-selected

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

-born player to be drafted in the NBA, which was a record previously held by

Vitaly Potapenko Vitaly Nikolaevich Potapenko ( uk, Віталій Миколайович Потапенко, pronounced ''vee-TAH-lee poe-TAH-pen-koe'', born March 21, 1975) is a Ukrainian former professional basketball player who is currently an assistant coach ...

in 1996. He was also the first Suns player to be taken in the top 5 of an NBA draft since

Armen Gilliam Armen Louis Gilliam (born Armon Louis Gilliam; May 28, 1964 – July 5, 2011) was an American professional basketball player who played 13 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1987 to 2000. He also played one season for the Pi ...

in 1987. Due to his ankle surgeries, Len did not join the Suns for the 2013 NBA Summer League. On July 12, 2013, Len had surgery on his right ankle due to a

stress fracture A stress fracture is a fatigue-induced bone fracture caused by repeated stress over time. Instead of resulting from a single severe impact, stress fractures are the result of accumulated injury from repeated submaximal loading, such as running or ...

. He signed with the Suns on August 29, 2013, and was cleared to practice with them by early September. Len made his NBA debut on November 1, 2013, at home in a close victory against the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

. He sat out seven games before returning on November 19 against the

. However, a day later, Len re-injured his left knee and missed over six weeks before returning on January 7 against the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

. Len had his first 10-rebound game in a 126–117 win over the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

on January 29, 2014.

2014–15 season

In July 2014, Len joined the Phoenix Suns for the 2014 NBA Summer League. In the Suns' first game of the Summer League, Len recorded 6 points and 6 rebounds against the Golden State Warriors before fracturing his right pinkie finger and was subsequently ruled out until training camp. On October 7, 2014, a day before the Suns' first pre-season game of 2014 against Brazilian club

Flamengo Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (; English: ''Flamengo Rowing Club''), more commonly referred to as simply Flamengo, is a Brazilian sports club based in Rio de Janeiro, in the neighborhood of Gávea, best known for their professional football ...

, Len fractured the same pinkie finger again, forcing him to the sidelines once more. He returned to action two weeks later in the Suns' pre-season game against the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

on October 22. On October 31, 2014, Len recorded his first career double-double with career-highs in points and rebounds with 10 and 11, respectively, in the Suns' 94–89 win over the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

. On November 17, he scored a then career-high 19 points in a 118–114 win over the Boston Celtics. Len started his first game on December 15 against the

and continued to start for the Suns until February 5 when injured his ankle after a failed alley-oop attempt in the third quarter against the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

. After missing three games due to the injury, he returned to action on February 20 to record 11 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high six blocks in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. On April 2, he underwent successful surgery to repair his broken nose, an injury he suffered against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 30. He subsequently missed the final seven games of the season.

2015–16 season

In July 2015, Len re-joined the Suns for the 2015 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas where in five games, he averaged 10.8 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. Following the conclusion of the Summer League, Len began training with his new teammate

Tyson Chandler Tyson Cleotis Chandler (born October 2, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Chandler was drafted directly out of high school as the second overall pick of the 2001 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, then wa ...

, as well as rival center and one of Len's personal favorite players,

Tim Duncan Timothy Theodore Duncan (born April 25, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "the Big Fundamental", he is widely regarded as the greatest power forward of all time and one of the greatest players in NBA histor ...

, throughout the off-season. On December 9, Len recorded a then career-high 20 points and 14 rebounds in a 107–104 win over the Orlando Magic. On January 11, he was ruled out for three games with a left hand sprain. On February 4, he recorded 12 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in a 111–105 loss to the Houston Rockets. On February 21, he recorded a then career-high 23 points and 13 rebounds in a 118–111 loss to the

. He went on to set a new career high on March 4, recording 31 points along with 15 rebounds in a 102–84 win over the Orlando Magic. Two days later, Len recorded 19 points, 16 rebounds and a career-high 6 assists in a 109–100 win over the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

. On March 17, he recorded his 10th straight game with 10+ rebounds. On April 7, he recorded a career-high seven assists in a 124–115 win over the Houston Rockets. Len appeared in 78 games for the Suns in 2015–16, starting in 46 of them, both career highs. He recorded 19 double-doubles and finished with averages of 9.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists, all career highs.

2016–17 season

Partido NBA -i---i- (32286841595) (cropped)

After going 0–4 to start the season, Len helped the Suns record their first win on November 2 with 18 points in a 118–115 overtime victory over the

. On November 8, he recorded 16 points and a season-high 14 rebounds in a 107–100 win over the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

. On December 9, he recorded 14 points, 13 rebounds and a season-high five blocks off the bench in a 119–115 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On February 10, 2017, he was suspended one game without pay for leaving the bench area and entering the playing court during an altercation in the Suns' 110–91 loss to the

two days earlier.

2017–18 season

Following the 2016–17 season, Len became a restricted free agent. On September 25, 2017, after spending the off-season looking to get a better deal, Len signed a one-year, $4.2 million qualifying offer to return to the Suns. On November 17, 2017, Len had 17 points and 18 rebounds in a 122–113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On November 28, 2017, he tied a career high with 18 rebounds in a 104–99 win over the

. On December 16, 2017, he had 12 points and a career-high 19 rebounds in a 108–106 win over the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

. On March 2, 2018, he had six blocks in a 124–116 loss to the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

Atlanta Hawks (2018–2020)

On August 3, 2018, Len signed a two-year, $8.5 million contract with the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays its home games at ...

. On December 23, 2018, he had 15 points and a season-high 17 rebounds in a 98–95 win over the

. On March 3, 2019, he scored a then season-high 28 points with a career-high five 3-pointers in a 123–118 win over the

. On April 7, he scored a career-high 33 points, including a career-best six 3-pointers, in a 115–107 loss to the

Sacramento Kings (2020)

On February 6, 2020, Len and

Jabari Parker Jabari Ali Parker (born March 15, 1995) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the second overall pick in th ...

were traded to the

in exchange for

Dewayne Dedmon Dewayne Jamal Dedmon (born August 12, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "The Mechanic", he played college basketball for Antelope Valley College and USC. ...

and two second round picks.

Toronto Raptors (2020–2021)

On November 29, 2020, Len signed with the

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

. He was waived by the Raptors on January 19, 2021, after 13 regular season games.

Washington Wizards (2021)

On January 23, 2021, Len signed with the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

Return to Sacramento (2021–present)

On August 13, 2021, Len signed with the

National team career

Len played for

's Under-16 national team during the 2009 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship. Despite his performance throughout the tournament, which included a 20-point outing against

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

and averaging 8.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and being the second-best shot blocker in the tournament with 2.6 blocks per game, the Under-16 national team was relegated under the Division B section after the tournament for over a year's time. He played with his nation's Under-18 national team for the 2010 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. Unlike in the Under-16 Tournament he participated in back in 2009, Len helped the Under-18 team stay in the Division A tournaments for at least another year. Throughout the tournament, Len ended up being the biggest stand-out player for the nation throughout the entire tournament. In fact, his performance throughout the tournament led to the

, along with a few other universities like

Virginia Tech Virginia Tech (formally the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and informally VT, or VPI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. It also has educational facilities in six re ...

, gaining enough interest in him to get him on their team. In August 2018, Len was named to play for the

Ukraine national basketball team The Ukraine men's national basketball team ( uk, збірна України з баскетболу) represents Ukraine in international basketball competitions. They are controlled by the Basketball Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian In ...

for the first time at the 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifiers in September.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, 42 , , 3 , , 8.6 , , .423 , , , , .645 , , 2.4 , , .1 , , .1 , , .4 , , 2.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 69 , , 44 , , 22.0, , .507 , , .333 , , .702 , , 6.6 , , .5 , , .5 , , 1.5 , , 6.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 78 , , 46 , , 23.3 , , .423 , , .143 , , .728 , , 7.6 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , .8 , , 9.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 77 , , 34 , , 20.2 , , .497 , , .250 , , .721 , , 6.6 , , .6 , , .5 , , 1.3 , , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 69 , , 13 , , 20.2 , , .566 , , .333 , , .684 , , 7.5 , , 1.2 , , .4 , , .9 , , 8.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, 77 , , 31 , , 20.1 , , .494 , , .363 , , .648 , , 5.5 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , .9 , , 11.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 40 , , 9 , , 18.6 , , .546 , , .250 , , .630 , , 5.8 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , .8 , , 8.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 15 , , 3 , , 15.0 , , .593 , , .667 , , .708 , , 6.1 , , .5 , , .2 , , 1.0 , , 5.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, 7 , , 2 , , 10.9 , , .500 , , .500 , , .500 , , 1.6 , , .4 , , .1 , , .9 , , 2.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, 57 , , 40 , , 15.8 , , .619 , , .263 , , .636 , , 4.4 , , .8 , , .3 , , 1.0 , , 7.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Sacramento ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento ...

, 39 , , 10 , , 15.9 , , .534 , , .286 , , .651 , , 4.1 , , 1.2 , , .3 , , .6 , , 6.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 570 , , 235 , , 18.9 , , .507 , , .329 , , .683 , , 5.9 , , .9 , , .4 , , 1.0 , , 7.7

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2021 , style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 3 , , 8.4 , , .571 , , — , , .571 , , 2.2 , , .4 , , .2 , , .0 , , 4.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 5 , , 3 , , 8.4 , , .571 , , — , , .571 , , 2.2 , , .4 , , .2 , , .0 , , 4.0

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;",

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, 22 , , 11 , , 21.2 , , .553 , , .000 , , .587 , , 5.4 , , .6 , , .2 , , 2.1 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2012–13 , style="text-align:left;",

, 38 , , 37 , , 26.4 , , .534 , , .125 , , .686 , , 7.8 , , 1.0 , , .2 , , 2.1 , , 11.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 60 , , 48 , , 24.5 , , .538 , , .111 , , .663 , , 7.0 , , .8 , , .2 , , 2.1 , , 9.7

Personal life

In December 2015, Len and his mother, Yulia, created the ''Len-d A Hand Foundation'', a charity that helps reach out to the youth in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...

and other surrounding areas. Len is also a strong swimmer, and on April 25, 2016, he helped save his friend and a lifeguard from drowning at a beach in the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

References

External links

Maryland Terrapins bio

ESPN profile

{{DEFAULTSORT:Len, Alex 1993 births Living people Atlanta Hawks players BC Dnipro players Centers (basketball) Maryland Terrapins men's basketball players National Basketball Association players from Ukraine People from Antratsyt Phoenix Suns draft picks Phoenix Suns players Sacramento Kings players Toronto Raptors players Ukrainian expatriate basketball people in the United States Ukrainian expatriate sportspeople in Canada Ukrainian men's basketball players Washington Wizards players Sportspeople from Luhansk Oblast