Marcus Bingham signs with a Russian basketball team

Marcus Bingham Jr. shoots a jumper during a pick-up basketball game at Hudsonville High School on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. The former MSU star will play in Russia this season. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

HUDSONVILLE, Mich. - Marcus Bingham Jr. doesn’t back away from a challenge.

The Grand Rapids native signed to play basketball in Russia this season, a place he isn’t familiar with, doesn’t know the language and the government isn’t friendly to Americans.

“I never would have thought that I’d play in Russia,” Bingham said. “But they called and I took a chance.”

Bingham, who played at Michigan State University, will join UNICS Kazan, a team located in Kazan, Russia, which is an eight-hour drive east of Moscow.

“I don’t know anything about Kazan, to be honest,” Bingham said. “It’s just a good team and they have aspirations to go to Euro League, so that’s a good start.”

Bingham, a 7-foot center, who graduated from Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School, was having fun playing pickup ball with his younger brother Mykel Bingham and other West Michigan basketball stars on Tuesday at Hudsonville High School for the weekly Highland Premier Open Run.

But things get a little more serious once he heads back overseas.  

Bingham played the past two years in Israel with Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Holon.

So will he try to learn to speak Russian?

“For sure, I’ll be there for nine months,” he said with a laugh. “So I’ll try.”

Bingham played four seasons for MSU from 2018-2022. He declared for the NBA Draft in 2022, but went undrafted. He signed with the Dallas Mavericks in September 2022 but was released a month later without playing for the team. 

Marcus Bingham Jr. plays during a pick-up basketball game at Hudsonville High School on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. The 7-foot Bingham is guarded by 6-foot-10 Owen Hardy, who plays at Ferris State. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).