Vladislav Goldin (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Vladislav Goldin is one of the most talented Russian basketball players of his generation. The 7-foot-1 center signed a two-way contract with the Miami Heat on Thursday, June 26, after going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft. He played college basketball for Michigan, Texas Tech, and Florida Atlantic, where he was a starter on the 2023 Final Four team.
“I was thinking about all the opportunities after draft night, and this team does look like … I feel pretty good about how they play, about what they want,” Goldin said in an exclusive interview with RG. “I think I can give them what they want. And the way they develop players definitely makes me excited about working and coming to the gym every day, knowing that they’re here to help me get better, and that’s all I want.”
In July, Goldin took part in the NBA Summer League, appearing in four games and averaging 9.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 0.5 assists. He called the experience invaluable.
“I think it was important for me. Our team had different games, different game plans. I feel like it was really good overall to show that I can impact the game in different roles. That was my main goal – to show that it doesn’t matter what you want me to do, I can impact the game.”
After three seasons under Dusty May at Florida Atlantic and a run to the 2023 Final Four, Goldin completed his sociology degree and followed May to Michigan as a graduate student. Leading the Wolverines to a 27-10 record, he was a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award and played a key role in Michigan’s Big Ten Tournament title, where he was named Most Outstanding Player and earned all-tournament honors. No Russian player had ever achieved such recognition before. Goldin, however, downplays individual accolades.
“I don’t really focus on it, because it’s good to win awards, but all I think about is winning games and titles. For me, winning a Big Ten Tournament was by far more enjoyable than winning any kind of award.”
Childhood And Wrestling
Goldin was born in Nalchik, a small town in the North Caucasus, but his family moved to Voronezh when he was young. Until the age of 15, he competed in wrestling.
“My dad told me, ‘You can do whatever you want.’ I did wrestling, I did running, sometimes I tried to swim. I did everything, but just a little bit. Probably for the longest period of time I did wrestling, but then I started growing and I understood it wasn’t my thing.”
Asked if he had any success in wrestling, Goldin laughed. “Not successful, that’s why I quit. There was no competitive advantage for me.”
At 18, he left CSKA Moscow’s system and moved to the United States. He left his family behind, only reuniting with them in March after a five-year separation.
“It was definitely hard, but for me probably the hardest year was the second or third. Because in the first year everything is new, you don’t understand what is going on, you learn everything. And the second or third year is when you’re like, okay, now I know everything, but I miss my family. So I already got used to living without, I got used to living on FaceTime. I built my family here in the U.S., I have a fiancée who has parents, and I spend a lot of time with them.”
Goldin proposed to his future wife in an unusual way – right on the court after a game. It happened after a loss, and he admits it wasn’t planned.
“I’ll be honest, it wasn’t planned. I was supposed to do it the day after. But we lost the game to Michigan State. I felt like even when I lost and I didn’t accomplish what I wanted – I wanted to beat our rival team – she still cheered me on. That’s when it hit me and I understood there are greater things in life and probably family is the greatest thing in the world. That person made me feel like I have family, and I wanted to change all my plans and propose that day. I didn’t plan it, basically. She was mad at me because she didn’t have nails.”
The Grind And The Diet
Goldin is known for his discipline and relentless work ethic. Whether it’s strength training, conditioning, or polishing his post moves, he spends long hours in the gym. Teammates and coaches consistently point out his commitment.
“I assume it’s true, but that’s something I’ve been doing since I was probably 14 or 15 years old. It’s normal for me, but I do try to do everything possible at the current stage. If it’s stretching, if it’s conditioning, if it’s extra basketball workouts, whatever I can do, I love to do it. I probably come earlier than anybody else on the team. On all of my teams, I’m one of the first people in the gym almost every day, so it’s definitely true.”
Recovery is equally important to him. Sleep, he says, is the best tool. He also uses various popular recovery methods among professional athletes.
“I personally love the hyperbaric chamber or EWOT workouts, it’s like when you work out with the oxygen mask. So it’s something I found very beneficial to myself.”
Goldin is meticulous about his nutrition. Still, he admits that “clean eating” without calorie-dense foods is unrealistic at his training volume.
“Oh yes, I’m not sure how special it is, but I do know I burn a lot of calories. In order for me to maintain weight, I probably have to eat a little over 5,000 calories a day. And I’m always trying to gain weight, so I try to aim for 7,000. But I’ll be honest, sometimes I’m not the best and I don’t hit that goal, but as long as I eat that much, I usually get all my nutrition, protein, carbs. With that amount of calories, you’re going to get everything you want in the world. So I just need to eat like four times a day plus different types of snacks and shakes.
I eat everything. My primary goal is to hit the calorie goal, but after that it really depends on what I want. I’ve tried to eat healthy without oil, without some bad stuff, but now I understand that probably eating french fries with 500 calories is not a bad idea.”
Discipline And Brotherhood: The Foundation of Miami’s Success
The Heat is a franchise defined by a unique culture, built by president and former coach Pat Riley around discipline, accountability, and relentless work.
“We did have some rules about how you look, what you wear and what you don’t wear. So it’s kind of like … I wouldn’t say it’s anything crazy, but that’s the only team that gives you that kind of rules and encourages you to be 100% bought in. I think that’s what creates a team, I think that’s what creates such a strong brotherhood. And I definitely have felt that. It’s simple stuff, like to be professional, you have to look professional.
If it’s culture, if it’s something we agreed to do, it’s about your own responsibility to do it.”
Under head coach Erik Spoelstra, the Heat are known for their grueling training camps that build toughness and conditioning for the season ahead.
“One thing I can say probably, we start preparing, we do conditioning as rookies. We don’t know a lot of things, that’s why it’s important for everybody to stay in the gym as a rookie. Because coaches will guide you through the program, what you need to achieve, and what percentage you’re supposed to have, and hit your goals.
Spoelstra spends a lot of time in the gym, probably one of the top guys who spends time in the gym. Every time I go to the gym, I see him. And the way he carries himself … I like seeing it, just because it shows the work everybody puts in. Even coaches go to the weight room.”
“The Most Dominant Was Shaq”
Goldin is considered a classic center – a role that has evolved dramatically in modern basketball. He pushes back on the idea that the position has disappeared.
“In my eyes, I feel like at some point the NBA went away from having traditional centers. However, I feel like it’s coming back just because the skill level of guys over 7 feet has risen drastically. So now it’s kind of gone back again, that you need size, you need to be able to defend. Look at Nikola Jokic, you’re okay to be like players who have size as well.”
As for the greatest player in basketball history, Goldin points to Shaquille O’Neal.
“I would say the most dominant was definitely Shaquille O’Neal. I’m not going to say LeBron or Jordan, but the most dominant was Shaq.”
Growing up, however, he idolized Kobe Bryant.
“I was watching Kobe Bryant. When I was younger, I had No. 24 because of him. He was somebody I was watching. He was such a great example for young kids because he worked hard, he represented himself outside the court pretty well. I think he was the one I was watching growing up.”
The Dream Isn’t Complete Yet
Goldin is entering a new chapter in his career with a two-way contract and plenty of motivation.
“It was definitely hard, but for me probably the hardest year was the second or third. Because in the first year everything is new, you don’t understand what is going on, you learn everything. And the second or third year is when you’re like, okay, now I know everything, but I miss my family. So I already got used to living without, I got used to living on FaceTime. I built my family here in the U.S., I have a fiancée who has parents, and I spend a lot of time with them.”
When asked if he feels like his dream is coming true, Goldin admitted he sees it differently.
“I still don’t understand 100% of the dream coming true. Because I still want to accomplish higher things. For me, it’s not enough just to get an NBA two-way contract. I want to win a championship, and maybe if we win a championship, I’ll say yes, dream comes true.”