FC Bayern Basketball is pleased to announce a pivotal personnel decision: U18 national player Ivan Kharchenkov, who debuted in the BBL at 16 as the youngest player ever, has signed a three-year contract with the cup winners, lasting until 2027. The now 17-year-old guard from the youth program of the BBL leaders has increasingly made appearances with the professionals in the BBL and EuroLeague this season.
This Saturday (4:30 PM), the young star will compete in Berlin with Bayern's U19 team in the semifinals against title favorite Vechta for a spot in the Top4 final of the German Championship on Sunday.
Youngest BBL player and scorer
"I am happy and proud to have signed my first professional contract here at Bayern and I hope for a continued good and successful time," says Kharchenkov, who has been trained at FC Bayern since 2018. As the top scorer of the German U18 team, the athletic 1.98-meter guard shone while winning bronze at the European Championship in July 2023. In February, national coach Gordon Herbert called him up for the first time for a training session with the senior team.
"Key decision for the club"
"The fact that Ivan has committed to our club long-term is a sign of continuity and trust in the organization," commented FCBB Sporting Director Daniele Baiesi. "For the club, this is a key decision, as Ivan is one of the most promising guards across the entire European map. He will continue to work hard with our staff to become a great, modern player. He has already shown that he can be a core part of our rotation – we all in the club firmly believe in him."
He has already shown that he can be a core part of our rotation – we all in the club firmly believe in him.
FCBB Sporting Director Daniele Baiesi
Ivan Kharchenkov comes from a successful basketball family: his father Alexander once played for CSKA and Dynamo Moscow as well as for St. Petersburg, and was part of the then Soviet Union team that won the World Championship in 1974, in the final against the USA. Later, he became a coach, including in Germany. His mother Elena also played in the top league and won national championships. In the 90s, the family moved to Germany, eventually settling in Landsberg, where Ivan grew up. Through Jahn Munich, he arrived at Westpark and first played at the age of twelve in the FCBB U14.
EM Bronze with the German U18
Already last year, Kharchenkov was part of the extended professional squad of Andrea Trinchieri. And since mid-November 2022, at 16 years, one month, and 30 days, he has been the youngest player in BBL history and, with his five points during the FCBB win in Weißenfels, also the youngest scorer in the league. Under Pablo Laso, the teenager has had eight BBL appearances this season (averaging 4.3 points per game) and even four in the EuroLeague.
In the second team of Munich, the youngest ever in ProB, Kharchenkov has finally developed into a key player this season (averaging 22.5 points per game). At the U18 European Championship in 2023 and at the ANGT tournament in 2024 in Podgorica, the Bayern youngster was selected for the Allstar-Five.