Sasha Kaun Olympian

Former KU basketball center Sasha Kaun, member of the university's 2008 national champion team, participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics as part of the Russian national team which won the bronze medal that year. Kaun was the first Jayhawk to participate in basketball in the Olympics since Danny Manning's participation in 1988. 

After graduating with a computer science degree from KU in 2008, Kaun went back to his home country and signed a three-year contract with the Russian team CSKA Moskow. In 2012, Kaun re-signed his contract with CSKA, staying for three more seasons. 

In September of 2015, Kaun came back to the United States after signing a contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers only to be traded, along with cash considerations, to the Philadelphia 76ers on July 15th of 2016. Two days later, he was waived by the 76ers, and six days later he announced his retirement from professional basketball.