Kyrylo Fesenko Airballs Free Throw, Laughs

Courtesy Kyrylo Fesenko’s Facebook page – “Keeping BIG PICTURE in mind even during the summer.”

Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers and traded to the Utah Jazz in 2007, Kyrylo Fesenko spent four years with the Utah franchise, always tantalizingly close to posting that breakout season that would mean breaching the ranks of an NBA regular rotation. At 7’1″ 280 pounds with a 9’4″ reach he possesses a coveted NBA body that could make a huge difference in the middle.

But he never grew up, and that used to enrage former Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan, a man all about business in his decades in the league. Fesenko has always been the class clown, a trait that ingratiated him with fans, particularly in Utah. It was also a trait that kept Fesenko from ever reaching his full professional potential, according to executives and coaches.

If Karl Malone and Jerry Sloan were a match made in heaven, Kyrylo Fesenko and Jerry Sloan were a match made, well, somewhere else. Like maybe the set of Benny Hill with Captain Ray Holt walking in to find everyone riding Shriner’s mini-cars and halting the parade with a glare while deadpanning “I am not amused.”

Fes didn’t notice Sloan until about halfway back down the court. When he did, that smile ceased to exist and the big Jazz center immediately found another hustle gear

I recall Fesenko one Summer League in Salt Lake Valley just kind of loafing it up and down the court with a goofy grin and bright, dyed blonde hair in a game the Jazz assistants were coaching.

And then Sloan and head assistant Phil Johnson, an extension of Jerry for as long as anyone can remember, suddenly appeared quietly and sat down at a table some 15 or so feet behind the west basketball standard. The play was going the other way when they arrived and seated themselves, Johnson toting a clipboard.

Fes didn’t notice Sloan and Johnson until about halfway back down the court. When he did, that smile ceased to exist and the big Jazz center immediately found another hustle gear, making an impact for the remainder of his stint. When the halftime buzzer sounded Sloan nearly ran over myself and the boy, cutting us off with a purposeful stride while making his way to the Jazz sideline where I’m sure he had some choice words for Fes.

"It’s safe to say that the first time he saw the new-look Kyrylo Fesenko over the weekend, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan didn’t exactly feel as if he’d dyed and gone to heaven.Fesenko returned to town for the Rocky Mountain Revue with blond hair, apparently forgetting he plays for a no-nonsense coach who doesn’t even allow his players to wear headbands.Although he was able to joke about Fesenko – “I didn’t know who he was. I was totally taken aback by the blond hair” – Sloan clearly would have preferred his 21-year-old center call attention to himself with his play on the court instead of the coloring in his hair.“He’s got a long way to go to make himself a better player,” Sloan said. “He has skills, but sometimes the outside things will take you right out of this game. If those things are more important than basketball, that’s where you get in trouble.”"

"“A lot of people have skills,” Sloan added. “A lot of them are sitting on the sidewalk wondering what happened 20 years ago when they had a chance. He’s got to figure out what he wants to do and play basketball or be a clown.”–Ross Siler, Salt Lake Tribune circa 2008"

Now 28 and happily married, Big Fes still knows how to keep it light, but with a new wisdom and measure of maturity. Playing for a Russian team no one’s heard of in a Euro league almost no one’s heard of, Fesenko pulled one of the biggest no-nos in basketball: airballing a free throw.

And he didn’t just miss, he missed by a kilometer, then posted the short video to his Instagram account.

The caption reads: “The main thing in this life is to be able to laugh at yourself!”

I’m sure more than myself got a chuckle out of that, Kyrylo. Not many athletes would post something like that to their own account, but that’s part of what makes Big Fes so endearing.

Salt City Hoops’ Andy Larsen caught up with Fesenko last summer during a Summer League stint for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"Are you still making jokes?I still can make a joke, but now I know when is an appropriate time to make a joke and when to shut up."

Affable and gregarious, Fesenko will often interact with fans through social media, and he still has rabid fans in the Utah fanbase. Who knows, maybe he’ll make his way back to the NBA someday to entertain us one more time.