From EUROBASKET, another piece on the novelty of an American playing for the Russian national team, that includes two very telling comments from the Russian point of view:

Zakhar Pashutin, who's played with the Russian national team since 1997 and with Holden for two seasons at CSKA, enjoys having the short American around.

"He's a very great player, and we needed a player like him. He gives us some more power on the break," he said. . . .

Russian coach Sergey Babkov added: "He's a very good guard, a versatile one as well. And we don't have any better in Russia at the moment."