Jon Robert Holden
Encyclopedia
Jon Robert "J.R." Holden (born August 10, 1976) (in ) is a retired American
Russia
n professional basketball player. The Russian spelling of his name in Latin form is Dzhon-Robert Kholdin. He played NCAA Division I college basketball
at Bucknell University
from 1994-98. He has also been a member of the senior Russia national basketball team
.
. After graduation from Bucknell
, he received a call from the basketball club ASK/Brocēni/LMT
, located in Riga
, Latvia
, offering him $3,000 net income
a month to join their team. He accepted and began a long and very successful career in European basketball.
Holden has played for teams in: the Latvian League
(ASK/Brocēni/LMT
1998-99), the Belgian League
(Telindus Oostende
1999-01), the Greek A1 League
(AEK Athens 2001-02) and the Russian Superleague A (CSKA Moscow
2002–2011). He has won national championships in each country. He was named the 2003 Russian Superleague A Player of the Year. He earned an Import Players Honorable Mention in the 2002 Eurobasket All-Europe Rankings. Holden has won the Euroleague 2005–06 and the Euroleague 2007–08 season championships with CSKA
.
Holden started for CSKA Moscow
against the Philadelphia 76ers
in an exhibition game in October 2006, in Cologne
, Germany
as part of the EA Sports
NBA Europe Live 2006
promotional event. Coincidentally, Holden played college basketball
in the state of Pennsylvania
, where the 76ers are based.
(EuroBasket) final game against Spain
, where he scored the winning shot that gave Russia
the championship. He scored the final winning basket with 2 seconds left in the game. He was also named to the Russian squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics Basketball Tournament
.
by decree of President Vladimir Putin
. This move was brought about by new Russian Basketball Federation regulations restricting the number of foreigners, and specifically Americans allowable on Russian League teams. In response to the move, CSKA Basketball CEO Sergei Kushchenko hatched the idea of Holden acquiring citizenship. Moscow
mayor Yury Luzhkov and the Russian State Sports Committee both wrote letters in support of the decree. Holden currently maintains dual American and Russian citizenship.
Latvian League: 1999
Belgian League: 2001
Belgian Cup: 2001
Greek League: 2002
Russian League: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Russian Cup: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010
Euroleague: 2006, 2008
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n professional basketball player. The Russian spelling of his name in Latin form is Dzhon-Robert Kholdin. He played NCAA Division I college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
at Bucknell University
Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
from 1994-98. He has also been a member of the senior Russia national basketball team
Russia national basketball team
The Russian national basketball team represents Russia in international basketball matches. The team came into existence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its powerful basketball team. It has won 2 silver medals in the FIBA World Championships...
.
Professional career
Holden was born in Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. After graduation from Bucknell
Bucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
, he received a call from the basketball club ASK/Brocēni/LMT
ASK/Brocēni/LMT
ASK/Brocēni/LMT was a professional basketball team that was located in Riga, Latvia that existed from 1992 to 2000. The club played in the Latvian Basketball League. After 1999, the team split, forming two new teams, ASK Riga and Barons LMT....
, located in Riga
Riga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, offering him $3,000 net income
Net income
Net income is the residual income of a firm after adding total revenue and gains and subtracting all expenses and losses for the reporting period. Net income can be distributed among holders of common stock as a dividend or held by the firm as an addition to retained earnings...
a month to join their team. He accepted and began a long and very successful career in European basketball.
Holden has played for teams in: the Latvian League
Latvian Basketball League
Latvian Basketball League is the national basketball championship of Latvia. The first LBL season was played in 1992. From 1992 to 1999 all championships were won by BK Brocēni, however from 2000 to 2006 BK Ventspils were the champions. In 2007, ASK Rīga stopped BK Ventspils winning streak. BK...
(ASK/Brocēni/LMT
ASK/Brocēni/LMT
ASK/Brocēni/LMT was a professional basketball team that was located in Riga, Latvia that existed from 1992 to 2000. The club played in the Latvian Basketball League. After 1999, the team split, forming two new teams, ASK Riga and Barons LMT....
1998-99), the Belgian League
Basketball League Belgium
The Basketball League Belgium , also known as the Ligue Ethias or Ethias League, is the highest professional basketball league in Belgium.-Teams:* Antwerp Giants* Belgacom Liège Basket* Dexia Mons-Hainaut* Generali Okapi Aalstar...
(Telindus Oostende
Telindus Oostende
BC Oostende is a Belgian basketball team founded in 1970. It was previously known as Sunair Oostende then as Telindus oostende , Base Oostende and is now referred to as Telenet Oostende. The club has won 12 Belgian League titles, including a 6 year in a row sequence...
1999-01), the Greek A1 League
A1 Ethniki
The Greek Basket League , commonly referred to as the Greek Basketball League or Greek Basketball Championship, is the highest professional basketball league in Greece. It is run by HEBA...
(AEK Athens 2001-02) and the Russian Superleague A (CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...
2002–2011). He has won national championships in each country. He was named the 2003 Russian Superleague A Player of the Year. He earned an Import Players Honorable Mention in the 2002 Eurobasket All-Europe Rankings. Holden has won the Euroleague 2005–06 and the Euroleague 2007–08 season championships with CSKA
PBC CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...
.
Holden started for CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...
against the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
in an exhibition game in October 2006, in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
as part of the EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
NBA Europe Live 2006
NBA Europe Live Tour
NBA Europe Live Tour is an event organised yearly since 2006. Its purpose is to bring teams from the National Basketball Association to play games against mainly Euroleague but also Eurocup teams....
promotional event. Coincidentally, Holden played college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
in the state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, where the 76ers are based.
Russian national team
Holden's biggest achievement came in the 2007 FIBA European ChampionshipEurobasket 2007
-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Second round:- Group E :- Group F :-Championship bracket:- Quarterfinals :-Classification rounds:- Semifinals :- Third place game:- Final :...
(EuroBasket) final game against Spain
Spain national basketball team
The Spanish national basketball team is the basketball team representing Spain in international competitions, organized and run by the Spanish Basketball Federation...
, where he scored the winning shot that gave Russia
Russia national basketball team
The Russian national basketball team represents Russia in international basketball matches. The team came into existence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its powerful basketball team. It has won 2 silver medals in the FIBA World Championships...
the championship. He scored the final winning basket with 2 seconds left in the game. He was also named to the Russian squad for the 2008 Beijing Olympics Basketball Tournament
Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Basketball contests at the 2008 Olympic Games were held from August 9, 2008 to August 24, 2008. Competitions were held at the Wukesong Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China...
.
Personal
On October 20, 2003, Holden became a Russian citizenCitizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
by decree of President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
. This move was brought about by new Russian Basketball Federation regulations restricting the number of foreigners, and specifically Americans allowable on Russian League teams. In response to the move, CSKA Basketball CEO Sergei Kushchenko hatched the idea of Holden acquiring citizenship. Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
mayor Yury Luzhkov and the Russian State Sports Committee both wrote letters in support of the decree. Holden currently maintains dual American and Russian citizenship.
Honours
Eurobasket: 2009Latvian League: 1999
Belgian League: 2001
Belgian Cup: 2001
Greek League: 2002
Russian League: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Russian Cup: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010
Euroleague: 2006, 2008
External links
- Euroleague.net Profile
- Russian League Profile
- CSKA Club Profile
- "J.R. Holden", n°54 on TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
’s list of "100 Olympic Athletes To Watch"