MIES (2015 FIBA Hall of Fame) - On Friday 17 July, FIBA announced the 2015 Class of Inductees of the FIBA Hall of Fame. In the lead-up to the Induction Ceremony taking place on 19 September in Lille, France, we profile the inductees.

Vladimir Tkachenko was a towering presence in international basketball.

Born in 1957, the Ukrainian did not have to wait long to make a name for himself in the national team program.

In 1973, the center led the Soviet Union to the top of the podium at the European Championship cadets, averaging 25.5 points per game.

Just three years later and the 2.21m Tkachenko, a teenager playing for Stroitel Kiev in the USSR League, was so impressive that the Soviets included him in the senior squad that played at the Montreal Olympics.

Logging big minutes, he averaged 11.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game to help the Soviets capture a bronze medal in Canada.

Year after year, Tkachenko played for his country and made a sizable impact.

He wore a big mustache and had a menacing look.

Tkachenko had a prominent role as the Soviets finished on the podium in all six editions of the European Championships played between 1977 and 1987, winning the title on three occasions.

He also made his mark at FIBA Basketball World Cups.

Having reached the Final at the event in 1978 before falling to Yugoslavia, 82-81, in the championship game, Tkachenko and the Soviets four years later won the title when the tournament was held in Colombia.

It helped that the Soviet squad gave another giant, a 17-year-old Arvydas Sabonis, his World Cup debut.

The presence of both the 2.20m Sabonis and Tkachenko in the team meant the Soviets had a couple of frontline options that gave opponents headaches.

Tkachenko and Sabonis were Soviet teammates but rivals in professional basketball.

The former left Stroitel for CSKA Moscow in 1983 and had some memorable showdowns with Sabonis-led Zalgiris Kaunas teams.

With CSKA, Tkachenko won USSR League titles with in 1983, 1984 and 1988.

At his last FIBA Basketball World Cup in 1986, Tkachenko and the Soviets finished runners-up to the USA.

Tkachenko did get a taste of club basketball outside the Soviet Union.

In the 1989-90 season, he played in Spain with Guadalajara.

Looking back, Tkachenko will remember 1979 as a particularly good year.

In addition to winning the European title with the Soviet Union that year, he was bestowed the honor Master of Sports of the USSR and was also named the Euroscar Player of the Year and the Mr Europa Player of the Year.

In 1985, he was presented with the Order of the Badge of Honor.

FIBA