[2] Kovtun joined Úrvalsdeild karla club KR in 1989, under head coach László Németh, becoming the first Soviet player to play for an Icelandic team.
[3][1] With KR, Kovtun teamed up with American Jónatan James Bow, who was on a loan from Haukar,[4] in the FIBA Korać Cup which was, according to FIBA, the first time an American and a Soviet player played together in the Cup.
[5] In the Úrvalsdeild, Kovtun averaged 16.9 points and 11.0 rebounds and helped KR to its first national championship in 11 years.
[1] During the summer of 1990, Kovtun was seriously injured in a car crash that killed his friend.
After the accident, he was in a coma for six days and permanently lost the sight on one eye, effectively ending his professional career.