By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Anatoliy Zhurbenko passed away Monday, his close friend and former teammate Aleksey Savrasenko announced.
Zhurbenko was 46. The cause of death was not shared.
Olympiacos was devastated by the news, as expressed in a press release. “Olympiacos BC extends our heartfelt sorrow for the death of Anatoly Zourpenko, at the age of 46. Our sincere condolences go to his family and his loved ones. Safe travels Anatoly…” reads the official announcement.
Born in Volgograd on 5 November 1975, he grew up in Greece and later became a Greek citizen. In his playing days, he became a member of Sporting, Olympiacos, Papagou, Maroussi, Near East, Panellinios, and Ilysiakos in the top-flight division of Greece.
The three-year spell at powerhouse Olympiacos alongside Savrasenko highlighted the run. He was part of the team winning the Greek championship in 1996 and had a minor role in the Reds capturing their first EuroLeague title in 1997. That season, the team was also crowned league and cup champion at the domestic level, completing the coveted Triple Crown achievement. A few months later, early in the 1997-98 season, he played for the team coached by the late Dusan Ivkovic in the 1997 McDonald’s Championship facing off with the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan in the championship game.
Moving on from Olympiacos carrying plenty of EuroLeague experience, he drew three solid campaigns in the lower-tier continental competition Korac Cup with Papagou in 1998-99, Maroussi in 1999-2000, and Near East in 2000-01. Ensuing challenges in Greece stretched from Panellinios to a return to his first professional team Sporting and spending the 2006-07 season at Ilysiakos.