Loko-guide to All-Star Game-2025

Who will represent Lokomotiv Kuban at the All-Star Weekend 2025? How are the teams compiled? Where to watch this show? Our guide will explain everything about the main show of the VTB United league.

This year, the VTB United League has decided to return to the All-Star Game format, in which teams made up of Russians (the “Hosts”) and foreign players (the “Visitors”) meet. The “Hosts” team will be led by the head coach and president of Lokomotiv Kuban Andrey Vedishchev.

It's a big honour to be invited to be a coach for the All-Star Game. As I know, it is 3-3 tie between Russian and legionnaires teams so far. So, our task is to get ahead. I will set our team up not just for a win, but for a beautiful win. The opponent is tough, but it will be even more respectable to beat them. I am looking forward to meeting my star team. I am sure that this game will bring a lot of interesting experience.

Andrey Vedishchev, the head coach at Lokomotiv Kuban PBC

Lokomotiv Kuban center, the best young player of the VTB United League in the 2023/24 season Kirill Yelatontsev was selected by journalists and experts – 14 out of 30 them included Kirill in their lists. In 30 games of the current championship, Kirill averages 6.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks (the second result in the league).

When I was told that I selected to the All-Star Game, I was pretty much surprised. On the court I always think only about our team winning, not about doing spectacular things. Well, okay, I’ll try to come up with something special for this game. It’s even interesting – to try myself in a different game mode, when you have slightly different tasks.

Kirill Yelatontsev, the center at Lokomotiv Kuban PBC

Forward Aleksandr Gudumak won the fan vote in the “Hosts, Front Line” category. At the time the voting began, he was a player for BC Samara, but by the time the results were announced, he had already moved to Lokomotiv Kuban. For Gudumak, the 2024/25 season is the best in his career. He averages 10.1 points per game, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.7 blocks, while his three-point accuracy is 38.8%.

I am very happy to be part of the All-Star Game, and my family is even happier. My grandmother will from Moldova and a large bunch of friends and family from Krasnoyarsk will arrive to witness it – as many as 20 people! And, of course, my wife and children will also support me. I'll try to show some beautiful game, so I hope that our head coach will give me enough playing time. Also, I thank the fans and everyone who voted for me – I can’t wait to step onto the court of the VTB Arena!

Aleksandr Gudumak, the forward at Lokomotiv Kuban PBC

When it came time to give the wild card, the VTB United League invited Lokomotiv Kuban point guard Patrick Miller to the All-Star Game. The 32-year-old American is having a great season: he averages 15.2 points per game, 5.8 assists (the best result in the league among those who played more than 50% of the games), 1.4 steals and an efficiency rating of 19.9 (4th in the league). Miller has made the Team of the Week seven times since the start of the season (the most in the league), and was named Player of the Month for January.

I can't wait for the All-Star Weekend to start. I've never participated in anything like this before, this is my first All-Star Game in my entire professional career. In previous years, All-Star Games were cancelled due to COVID, and in some leagues they are not held at all. For example, when I played in Lithuania, there was nothing like this there. I hope to represent Lokomotiv well and please the spectators with a good show. I am on the Guests team, and I think it will be difficult for us, because the Hosts are led by Andrei Vladimirovich, who always plays only to win!

Patrick Miller, the guard at Lokomotiv Kuban PBC

The VTB United League held its first All-Star Game on February 11, 2017, at the Bolshoy Sports Palace in Sochi. A year later, the event was held at the Yubileiny Sports Palace in St. Petersburg, and all subsequent times, including the upcoming one, the VTB Arena in Moscow became the gathering place for basketball stars.

The first six All-Star Games were held in the format of “Russia vs. World”. Russia won in 2017 (131:121), 2018 (125:124), and 2021 (183:162). The rest of the world won in 2019 (118:115), 2020 (164:162), and 2022 (129:121). In 2023, the organizers decided to divide the teams by age: those who had already turned 30 on the day of the game, versus those who were younger. “Old School” won with a score of 148:140.

Last year, “Team Rajkovic” and “Team Pascual” competed. Coaches Emil Rajkovic (at that time, he was heading CSKA) and Javier Pascual (“Zenit”) took turns choosing players from a general list of 24 people immediately before the match. “Team Pascual” celebrated the victory that evening, 134:120.

This time, the league decided to return to the original format, now it is called “Hosts vs. Guests”.

The best player is traditionally determined based on the results of the All-Star Game. Last year, it was DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell, who at that time played for Loko. This is not the first individual award of the All-Star Game for a player of the Krasnodar club: in 2019 and 2020, the three-point shot contest was won by Vitaly Fridzon; in 2018, the “railwaymen” won both contests – Ryan Broekhoff became the best in three-point shots, Frank Elegar – in slam dunks.

The 2025 All-Star Game will begin at 16:00 on February 16.

You can watch it live on the VTB United League website.

Let’s root for the star Lokomotiv team!