Just like his two older brothers, Ilja Kurucs started playing basketball at age 5 under the watchful of his grandfather Vladimirs Kiselovs.
Ilja is the latest Kurucs brother molded by their grandfather
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Among the names on the roster of the U18 Next Generation Team Dubai, Ilja Kurucs stands out. The center is the younger brother of former NBA forward Rodions Kurucs and former-Turkish Airlines EuroLeague guard Arturs Kurucs.
And just like his two older brothers, Ilja was also molded in the basketball game by his grandfather.
Vladimirs Kiselovs was a basketball lifer and much revered coach who grew up in the Soviet Union. He also drilled Rodions and Arturs when they were growing up.
The older brothers are close in age - Rodions was born in February 1998 and Arturs in January 2000 - so they could really go at one another when they were young. Ilja, though, was born in July 2007, so that was a major difference.
“It was really helpful and fun growing up with them - working out on the court, off the court. The helped me in every direction. Basketball, life, the mental direction, everywhere,” Ilja said.
I want to become the best basketball player of the Kurucs family and I will put all my heart and effort into achieving this goal.
Still, Rodions and Arturs both left Latvia in 2015 to head to develop their game in Spain - Rodions at FC Barcelona, where he won the ANGT MVP in 2016 as the club won the title; and Arturs to Baskonia.
“I remember the time pretty clearly as I was excited for both of them. It has been a dream for all of us to play basketball abroad and I was very happy for them,” the younger brother said.
Rodions ended up leaving Barcelona in 2018 for the NBA, where he spent four seasons playing for Brooklyn, Houston and Milwaukee. He returned to Europe in 2021 to play with Partizan Belgrade and was with Real Betis Sevilla and SIG Strasbourg last season before moving to Spanish side UCAM Murcia this season.
Arturs played with Baskonia until last season save for the 2019-20 season back home at VEF Riga. He started this season with Promitheas Patras and then joined his brother at Murcia.
“Both of my brothers were examples for me but the main person who helped me in my basketball improvement was my grandfather, who has been coaching me since I was born,” the big man added.
When asked how his game compared to his older brothers, Ilja said: “I would say my body is more like Rodions but my shot is more like Arturs’s type of shot.”
Unlike his older siblings, Ilja decided against going to Spain to take his next basketball steps. Instead he went to the Get Better Academy in Czechia.
“This is the place where the coaches work for the players and not for the titles,” he said.
The ANGT experience has been helpful for Kurucs as well.
“I have seen that I need to play more aggressive and dive more to the basket and use my strong side of my skills,” he said.
And what about his place in the Kurucs family?
“I believe it gives me an advantage and extra exposure, as my brothers are known for their talent in basketball, but I always feel that I have my own path and I want to be judged by my actions in life and in basketball,” he said. “I want to become the best basketball player of the Kurucs family and I will put all my heart and effort into achieving this goal.”
And he can always count on the help of his grandfather.