Career
Zhukanenko moved from Almaty (where he played for the youth side of Otrar) to Kazan aged 16 in order to join UNICS Kazan. He played for UNICS Kazan-2, the reserve team, from 2002 to 2005. After one game for the senior side in the 2004-2005 International Basketball Federation Europe League, he was permanently transferred the next season to play in the Russian Basketball Super League.
He moved to Dynamo Moscow in the summer of 2009.
During the 2010-2011 season he averaged 12.7 points and 7.4 rebounds in the domestic league and 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds in the EuroChallenge, the third-tier European competition. The same year he participated in the Professional Basketball League"s (the Super League"s successor) All-Star Game.
In June 2011 he signed a two-year contract with British Columbia Khimki. In June 2013, he transferred to rival (in both the PBL and the newly formed VTB United League) Lokomotiv Kuban, signing a two-year contract.
At the expiry of his contract in July 2015, Zhukanenko returned to his birth country, signing a one-year deal with Kazakhstani VTB United League side British Columbia Astana.
Zhukanenko played for the Russian Under-20 team at the 2006 International Basketball Federation Europe Under-20 Championship, posting 4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 7.8 minutes per game as Russia finished 10th. He participated in the 2009 Universiade, earning a silver medal with Russia. Zhukanenko was called up the senior Russia squad for the 2010 International Basketball Federation World Championship.
He was in the preliminary squads for both EuroBasket 2013 and EuroBasket 2015 but was cut before the main tournaments.
Alexey is the son of former player Yuri Zhukanenko, who played for the Soviet Union and Kazakhstani powerhouse SKA Alma-Ata. As his father"s career (later as a coach) took him to Russia, he followed him there.
He has dual Kazakhstani and Russian nationalities, acquiring the second after moving to Kazan.
