Andrei Kirilenko (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Andrei Gennadyevich Kirilenko is a Russian
-American professional basketball
player who plays at the small forward position for the CSKA Moscow
in the Russian Professional Basketball League. He also plays for the Russia national basketball team
. He is 206 cm (6'9") tall and weighs 103 kg (227 lb).
At age fifteen, Kirilenko began playing professional basketball in his native Russia with the Russian Basketball Super League
. The Utah Jazz drafted him in 1999
, and he became the first Russian player selected in the first round of a draft and youngest European player drafted. After the draft, Kirilenko spent two years with PBC CSKA Moscow
and played with the Russian national team
in the 2000 Summer Olympics
. In 2001, Kirilenko joined the Jazz. In the NBA, Kirilenko played in the 2004 All-Star Game
, was an NBA All-Defensive Team
pick for three seasons, and made the NBA All-Rookie Team
after his first season. In 2011, Kirilenko became an American citizen.
He is sometimes nickname
d AK47 because his initials are AK and his jersey number is 47.
Russian
city of Izhevsk
, Russia. When he was ten, he began playing organized basketball. In 1997, Kirilenko became the youngest player ever to compete in the Russian Superleague
. After spending two seasons with Spartak Saint Petersburg, he joined CSKA Moscow
in 1998. In his first season, he helped his new team win the Russian Superleague championship. He was also selected to participate in the Russian All-Star game, helping the West beat the East 138–107 and winning the slam dunk contest.
, at age , Kirilenko was the youngest European player at the time to be drafted
in the National Basketball Association
, when the Utah Jazz
selected him with the 24th pick. Kirilenko was also the first Russian picked in the first round of an NBA Draft. However, he remained with CSKA Moscow
for the next two seasons. In the 1999–2000 season, he helped his team win the inaugural championship of the Eastern European Basketball League and its second Russian Superleague championship in a row. On April 23, 2000, he participated in his second Russian All-Star game, helping the West beat the East 122–111. Despite being the odds-on favorite to win the slam dunk contest, he finished second to Harold Dean of Lokomotiv Mineralnye Vody.
Andrei Kirilenko participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics
as a member of the Russian national basketball team
, which finished 8th in the tournament. On February 8, 2001, in his third season with CSKA Moscow, Kirilenko became the second player ever in the history of the Euroleague
to record a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 steals against Lietuvos Rytas
. He showed off his all-around skills in the European Championships, finishing in top ten in 7 out of 8 statistical categories.
Kirilenko joined the Utah Jazz
in 2001. He was named to the first team on the NBA All-Rookie team. He has since emerged as one of the top young players in the NBA, and one of the league's top weak-side defenders. He was selected to play as a reserve in the 2004 NBA All-Star Game
in Los Angeles
. In the 2003–04 NBA season, he ranked third in the league in blocked shots per game and fourth in the league in steals per game, becoming just the second player in NBA history to rank in the top five in both categories (David Robinson
ranked first in blocked shots per game and fifth in steals per game in the 1991–92 NBA season). During the NBA offseason, Kirilenko plays for the Russian national basketball team.
Kirilenko became the leader of the Jazz in 2003 after John Stockton
retired and Karl Malone
left Utah to join the Los Angeles Lakers
. He played and started in 78 of the Utah's 82 games and led them to a 42–40 record. Utah missed the playoffs by one game behind the Denver Nuggets
. He finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year
voting and fourth in Most Improved Player
voting and was named to the second team on the All-NBA Defensive Team. Kirilenko led the Jazz in many statistical categories:
In the middle of the 2004–05 season against the Washington Wizards
, Kirilenko sustained a broken right wrist, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Despite only playing in 41 of the Jazz' 82 games, he amassed enough blocked shots during the season to qualify as the league leader in blocks per game, and was named to the second team on the NBA All-Defensive Team.
In the 2005–06 season Kirilenko was again among the league's best shot blockers and defenders. He recorded a career high 10 blocks against Indiana on March 26 and finished first in the league with total blocks (220) and second in blocks per game with 3.2, just behind league leader Marcus Camby
at 3.3. He was named to the first team on the NBA All-Defensive Team.
Kirilenko averaged 15.3 points, 8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 3.2 blocks and 4.3 assists per game in the 2005–2006 season.
Kirilenko and Hakeem Olajuwon are the only 2 NBA players who have finished a game with at least 6 steals, 6 blocks, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists since 1985-96.
The 2006–2007 season was a tremendous disappointment for Kirilenko. While playing in 70 games and not missing much playing time, he averaged career lows in points (8.3), rebounds (4.7), and field goal attempts (3.4). It has been said that much of this decline can be attributed to the main offensive emphasis on Carlos Boozer
, Deron Williams
, and Mehmet Okur
, and that Kirilenko was uncomfortable losing his position as the main go-to guy on the team. His frustration eventually culminated in a widely-publicized breakdown near the end of the Jazz's first-round playoffs series against the Houston Rockets
. Kirilenko bounced back to lead Russia to the championship in EuroBasket 2007
, and was named MVP of the tournament. Following his performance in the 2007 European championship he asked to be released from his contract to return to Russia to play basketball.
Despite the trade rumors and controversy created by these statements, he rebounded in the 2007–08 NBA season and backed off on trade demands. His statistics for the 2007–08 NBA season were: 11.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.2 spg, and 1.5 bpg, all of which were improvements over his previous season's stats (with the exception of blocks and rebounds). He worked out personally with former Jazz shooting guard Jeff Hornacek
on his shooting in the 2007 off-season, and his field goal percentage improved from 47% to 51%. Most impressively, his 3-point shooting improved from 21% to a career-high 38%.
.
when the Russian national basketball team
finished the games in the 8th place. Later he played at the 2001 European Championship
, where Russia finished 5th among 16 teams. The only time that Kirilenko played in a FIBA World Championship
was at the 2002 FIBA World Championship
where the Russian team finished 10th out of 16 teams. Kirilenko has also played at 4 European Championships
, the 2003 European Championship
, the 2005 European Championship
, and the 2007 European Championship
, where he won the gold medal of the competition and was named the MVP of the tournament. With the win in the 2007 European Championship, Russia qualified to the 2008 Summer Olympics
, where Kirilenko also played for Russia and he was also named Russia's Flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony
of the games.
In the first game of the 2008 Olympics tournament against Iran
, Kirilenko scored 15 points, pulled down 5 rebounds and blocked 3 shots. Against Croatia
, he led his team in points scored with 18, and he scored his personal best in the games against Argentina
, scoring 23.
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Utah
| 82 || 40 || 26.2 || .450 || .250 || .768 || 4.9 || 1.1 || 1.4 || 1.9 || 10.7
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Utah
| 80 || 11 || 27.7 || .491 || .325 || .800 || 5.3 || 1.7 || 1.5 || 2.2 || 12.0
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | Utah
| 78 || 78 || 37.1 || .443 || .338 || .790 || 8.1 || 3.1 || 1.9 || 2.8 || 16.5
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Utah
| 41 || 37 || 32.9 || .493 || .299 || .784 || 6.2 || 3.2 || 1.6 || 3.3 || 15.6
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Utah
| 69 || 63 || 37.7 || .460 || .308 || .699 || 8.0 || 4.3 || 1.5 || 3.2 || 15.3
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Utah
| 70 || 70 || 29.3 || .471 || .213 || .728 || 4.7 || 2.9 || 1.1 || 2.1 || 8.3
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Utah
| 72 || 72 || 30.8 || .506 || .379 || .770 || 4.7 || 4.0 || 1.2 || 1.5 || 11.0
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Utah
| 67 || 10 || 27.3 || .449 || .274 || .785 || 4.8 || 2.6 || 1.2 || 1.1 || 11.6
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Utah
| 58 || 35 || 29.0 || .506 || .292 || .744 || 4.6 || 2.7 || 1.4 || 1.2 || 11.9
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Utah
| 64 || 62 || 31.2 || .467 || .367 || .770 || 5.1 || 3.0 || 1.3 || 1.2 || 11.7
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 681 || 478 || 30.8 || .470 || .312 || .763 || 5.6 || 2.8 || 1.4 || 2.0 || 12.4
|-
| align="left" | All-Star
| align="left" |
| 1 || 0 || 12.0 || .333 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || 1.0 || 2.0
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Utah
| 4 || 4 || 30.5 || .393 || .000 || .813 || 3.8 || 1.0 || 1.8 || 2.5 || 8.8
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Utah
| 5 || 0 || 29.0 || .419 || .143 || .875 || 4.8 || 1.4 || .6 || 2.0 || 11.6
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Utah
| 17 || 17 || 31.0 || .447 || .333 || .785 || 5.2 || 2.6 || .9 || 2.3 || 9.6
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Utah
| 12 || 12 || 32.3 || .447 || .227 || .714 || 3.4 || 2.5 || 1.5 || 1.7 || 11.0
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Utah
| 5 || 3 || 27.2 || .468 || .200 || .714 || 2.8 || 2.0 || 2.2 || .6 || 11.0
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Utah
| 2 || 0 || 15.0 || .500 || .000 || 1.000 || 3.0 || .0 || .5 || .5 || 5.5
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 45 || 36 || 29.9 || .444 || .208 || .781 || 4.2 || 2.1 || 1.2 || 1.9 || 10.1
On January 3, 2006, against the Los Angeles Lakers
, Kirilenko posted a statline of 14 points, 8 rebounds
, 9 assists
, 6 steals
and 7 blocks
. This was the third time in his career he racked up at least 5 in all of the other relevant categories. Arguably, his statline is one of the closest performances to a quintuple double in NBA history. It was also the first-ever regulation "5×6" — a game in which a player registers at least 6 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 blocks, and 6 steals — since the NBA began recording blocks and steals in the 1973–74 season. In 1987, Hakeem Olajuwon
had 38 points, 17 rebounds, 12 blocks, 7 steals, and 6 assists for the Houston Rockets
in a double-overtime win over the Seattle SuperSonics
, the only other time a player has earned a 5×6.
. They live in Cottonwood Heights, Utah
and have two sons: Fedya (born 2002) and Stepan (born March 6, 2007). ESPN The Magazine
reported in 2006 that Masha allows Andrei to have sex with another woman once per year and quoted her: "Male athletes in this country are extremely attractive. They get chased by women. It's hard to resist. It's the way men are by nature."
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
-American professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who plays at the small forward position for the CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...
in the Russian Professional Basketball League. He also plays for the Russia national basketball team
Russia national basketball team
The Russian national basketball team represents Russia in international basketball matches. The team came into existence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its powerful basketball team. It has won 2 silver medals in the FIBA World Championships...
. He is 206 cm (6'9") tall and weighs 103 kg (227 lb).
At age fifteen, Kirilenko began playing professional basketball in his native Russia with the Russian Basketball Super League
Russian Basketball Super League
The Russian Basketball SuperLeague is a men's professional basketball league that was the pre-eminent league of Russian professional basketball until 2010...
. The Utah Jazz drafted him in 1999
1999 NBA Draft
The 1999 NBA Draft was held on June 30, 1999 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. It was the first draft in which four players from the same college were picked in the first round, with Elton Brand , Trajan Langdon , Corey Maggette and William Avery being selected out of Duke University...
, and he became the first Russian player selected in the first round of a draft and youngest European player drafted. After the draft, Kirilenko spent two years with PBC CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...
and played with the Russian national team
Russia national basketball team
The Russian national basketball team represents Russia in international basketball matches. The team came into existence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its powerful basketball team. It has won 2 silver medals in the FIBA World Championships...
in the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. In 2001, Kirilenko joined the Jazz. In the NBA, Kirilenko played in the 2004 All-Star Game
2004 NBA All-Star Game
The 2004 National Basketball Association All-Star Game was played on February 15, 2004 in front of an attendance of 19,662 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, home of the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers...
, was an NBA All-Defensive Team
NBA All-Defensive Team
The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; the coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own team...
pick for three seasons, and made the NBA All-Rookie Team
NBA All-Rookie Team
The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...
after his first season. In 2011, Kirilenko became an American citizen.
He is sometimes nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d AK47 because his initials are AK and his jersey number is 47.
Early years
Kirilenko was born in the SovietSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
Russian
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
city of Izhevsk
Izhevsk
Izhevsk is the capital city of the Udmurt Republic, Russia, situated on the Izh River in the Western Urals. Population: From 1984 to 1987 Izhevsk carried the name Ustinov |Minister of Defense of the USSR]], Marshal of the Soviet Union, Dmitry Ustinov). The city is an important industrial center,...
, Russia. When he was ten, he began playing organized basketball. In 1997, Kirilenko became the youngest player ever to compete in the Russian Superleague
Russian Basketball Super League
The Russian Basketball SuperLeague is a men's professional basketball league that was the pre-eminent league of Russian professional basketball until 2010...
. After spending two seasons with Spartak Saint Petersburg, he joined CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...
in 1998. In his first season, he helped his new team win the Russian Superleague championship. He was also selected to participate in the Russian All-Star game, helping the West beat the East 138–107 and winning the slam dunk contest.
Utah Jazz (1999-present)
On June 30, 19991999 NBA Draft
The 1999 NBA Draft was held on June 30, 1999 at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. It was the first draft in which four players from the same college were picked in the first round, with Elton Brand , Trajan Langdon , Corey Maggette and William Avery being selected out of Duke University...
, at age , Kirilenko was the youngest European player at the time to be drafted
NBA Draft
The NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
in the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, when the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
selected him with the 24th pick. Kirilenko was also the first Russian picked in the first round of an NBA Draft. However, he remained with CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...
for the next two seasons. In the 1999–2000 season, he helped his team win the inaugural championship of the Eastern European Basketball League and its second Russian Superleague championship in a row. On April 23, 2000, he participated in his second Russian All-Star game, helping the West beat the East 122–111. Despite being the odds-on favorite to win the slam dunk contest, he finished second to Harold Dean of Lokomotiv Mineralnye Vody.
Andrei Kirilenko participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics
-Group B:-Championship bracket:-Classification matches:-Preliminary round:The four best teams from each group advanced to the quarterfinal round.-Group A:-Group B:-Championship bracket:...
as a member of the Russian national basketball team
Russia national basketball team
The Russian national basketball team represents Russia in international basketball matches. The team came into existence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its powerful basketball team. It has won 2 silver medals in the FIBA World Championships...
, which finished 8th in the tournament. On February 8, 2001, in his third season with CSKA Moscow, Kirilenko became the second player ever in the history of the Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
to record a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 steals against Lietuvos Rytas
BC Lietuvos Rytas
BC Lietuvos rytas is a professional basketball club based in Vilnius, Lithuania playing in the Lithuanian Basketball League , the VTB United League, and the Eurocup...
. He showed off his all-around skills in the European Championships, finishing in top ten in 7 out of 8 statistical categories.
Kirilenko joined the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
in 2001. He was named to the first team on the NBA All-Rookie team. He has since emerged as one of the top young players in the NBA, and one of the league's top weak-side defenders. He was selected to play as a reserve in the 2004 NBA All-Star Game
National Basketball Association All-Star Game
The National Basketball Association staged its first All-Star Game in the Boston Garden on March 2, 1951. From that year on, the game has matched the best players in the Eastern Conference with the best players in the Western Conference....
in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. In the 2003–04 NBA season, he ranked third in the league in blocked shots per game and fourth in the league in steals per game, becoming just the second player in NBA history to rank in the top five in both categories (David Robinson
David Robinson (basketball)
David Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". He and teammate power forward Tim Duncan were...
ranked first in blocked shots per game and fifth in steals per game in the 1991–92 NBA season). During the NBA offseason, Kirilenko plays for the Russian national basketball team.
Kirilenko became the leader of the Jazz in 2003 after John Stockton
John Stockton
John Houston Stockton is a retired American professional basketball player who spent his entire career as a point guard for the Utah Jazz of the NBA from 1984 to 2003. Stockton is regarded as one of the best point guards of all time, holding the NBA records for most career assists and steals by...
retired and Karl Malone
Karl Malone
Karl Anthony Malone , nicknamed "The Mailman", is a retired American professional basketball power forward who spent the majority of his career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association . Malone spent his first 18 seasons with the Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate...
left Utah to join the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. He played and started in 78 of the Utah's 82 games and led them to a 42–40 record. Utah missed the playoffs by one game behind the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
. He finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1982–83 NBA season, to the top defensive player of the regular season...
voting and fourth in Most Improved Player
NBA Most Improved Player Award
The National Basketball Association's Most Improved Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association award given since the 1985–86 NBA season, to the most improved player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada,...
voting and was named to the second team on the All-NBA Defensive Team. Kirilenko led the Jazz in many statistical categories:
- total points: 1284
- points per game: 16.5
- total rebounds: 629
- rebounds per game: 8.1
- blocks: 215
- blocks per game: 2.8
- steals: 150
- steals per game: 1.9
- free throws made: 392
- free throws attempted: 496
- three-pointers made: 68
- three-pointers attempted: 201
In the middle of the 2004–05 season against the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, Kirilenko sustained a broken right wrist, sidelining him for the remainder of the season. Despite only playing in 41 of the Jazz' 82 games, he amassed enough blocked shots during the season to qualify as the league leader in blocks per game, and was named to the second team on the NBA All-Defensive Team.
In the 2005–06 season Kirilenko was again among the league's best shot blockers and defenders. He recorded a career high 10 blocks against Indiana on March 26 and finished first in the league with total blocks (220) and second in blocks per game with 3.2, just behind league leader Marcus Camby
Marcus Camby
Marcus D. Camby is an American professional basketball player, who currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA. He is a former Defensive Player of the Year during the 2006–07 NBA season, leading the league in blocked shots per game...
at 3.3. He was named to the first team on the NBA All-Defensive Team.
Kirilenko averaged 15.3 points, 8 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 3.2 blocks and 4.3 assists per game in the 2005–2006 season.
Kirilenko and Hakeem Olajuwon are the only 2 NBA players who have finished a game with at least 6 steals, 6 blocks, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists since 1985-96.
The 2006–2007 season was a tremendous disappointment for Kirilenko. While playing in 70 games and not missing much playing time, he averaged career lows in points (8.3), rebounds (4.7), and field goal attempts (3.4). It has been said that much of this decline can be attributed to the main offensive emphasis on Carlos Boozer
Carlos Boozer
Carlos Austin Boozer, Jr. is an American professional basketball player with the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association...
, Deron Williams
Deron Williams
Deron Michael Williams , nicknamed D-Will, is an American basketball player currently with the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association . Williams has also played for the Utah Jazz of the NBA and Beşiktaş of the Turkish Basketball League...
, and Mehmet Okur
Mehmet Okur
Mehmet Murat Okur is a Turkish professional basketball player who currently plays for Türk Telekom B.K.. He is also under contract with the Utah Jazz of the NBA, and can return to that team when the 2011 NBA lockout ends...
, and that Kirilenko was uncomfortable losing his position as the main go-to guy on the team. His frustration eventually culminated in a widely-publicized breakdown near the end of the Jazz's first-round playoffs series against the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
. Kirilenko bounced back to lead Russia to the championship in EuroBasket 2007
Eurobasket 2007
-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Second round:- Group E :- Group F :-Championship bracket:- Quarterfinals :-Classification rounds:- Semifinals :- Third place game:- Final :...
, and was named MVP of the tournament. Following his performance in the 2007 European championship he asked to be released from his contract to return to Russia to play basketball.
Despite the trade rumors and controversy created by these statements, he rebounded in the 2007–08 NBA season and backed off on trade demands. His statistics for the 2007–08 NBA season were: 11.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.2 spg, and 1.5 bpg, all of which were improvements over his previous season's stats (with the exception of blocks and rebounds). He worked out personally with former Jazz shooting guard Jeff Hornacek
Jeff Hornacek
Jeffrey John Hornacek is a retired American basketball player who played at the shooting guard position in the NBA from 1986–2000.-Elementary and high school:...
on his shooting in the 2007 off-season, and his field goal percentage improved from 47% to 51%. Most impressively, his 3-point shooting improved from 21% to a career-high 38%.
Back to Russia
It was reported on October 4, 2011 that Kirilenko returned to his old Russian team, PBC CSKA MoscowPBC CSKA Moscow
PBC CSKA Moscow is a Russian professional basketball team that is based in Moscow, Russia. The club is a member of the VTB United League. It is often referred to in the West as "Red Army" for its past affiliation with the Soviet Army. CSKA has won two titles between 2006 and 2009 in Europe's...
.
Russian national team
His first international tournament was in the 2000 Summer OlympicsBasketball at the 2000 Summer Olympics
-Group B:-Championship bracket:-Classification matches:-Preliminary round:The four best teams from each group advanced to the quarterfinal round.-Group A:-Group B:-Championship bracket:...
when the Russian national basketball team
Russia national basketball team
The Russian national basketball team represents Russia in international basketball matches. The team came into existence after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and its powerful basketball team. It has won 2 silver medals in the FIBA World Championships...
finished the games in the 8th place. Later he played at the 2001 European Championship
EuroBasket 2001
The EuroBasket 2001 was the 32nd EuroBasket, the biennial regional basketball championship contested by European nations and held by FIBA Europe. The tournament, which was hosted by Turkey, began on 31 August 2001 and concluded with the final on 9 September 2001. Yugoslavia won the gold medal,...
, where Russia finished 5th among 16 teams. The only time that Kirilenko played in a FIBA World Championship
FIBA World Championship
The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...
was at the 2002 FIBA World Championship
2002 FIBA World Championship
The 2002 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from August 29 to September 8, 2002.-Venues:-Squads:...
where the Russian team finished 10th out of 16 teams. Kirilenko has also played at 4 European Championships
Eurobasket
The EuroBasket, also referred to as the FIBA European Basketball Championship, is the main basketball competition contested biennially by the men's national teams governed by FIBA Europe, the European zone within the International Basketball Federation. The championship was first held in 1935 and...
, the 2003 European Championship
Eurobasket 2003
-5th to 8th place:-Awards:-All-Tournament Team : Tony Parker Šarūnas Jasikevičius Saulius Štombergas Andrei Kirilenko Pau Gasol-Top scorers :# Pau Gasol 25.8# Andrei Kirilenko 23.1# Dirk Nowitzki 22.5# Mehmet Okur 18.7...
, the 2005 European Championship
Eurobasket 2005
The EuroBasket 2005 was held in Serbia and Montenegro between 16 September and 25 September 2005. Greece won the gold medal by defeating Germany, while France won the bronze medal over Spain...
, and the 2007 European Championship
Eurobasket 2007
-Group B:-Group C:-Group D:-Second round:- Group E :- Group F :-Championship bracket:- Quarterfinals :-Classification rounds:- Semifinals :- Third place game:- Final :...
, where he won the gold medal of the competition and was named the MVP of the tournament. With the win in the 2007 European Championship, Russia qualified to the 2008 Summer Olympics
Basketball at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Basketball contests at the 2008 Olympic Games were held from August 9, 2008 to August 24, 2008. Competitions were held at the Wukesong Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China...
, where Kirilenko also played for Russia and he was also named Russia's Flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony
Opening ceremony
An opening ceremony is the official opening of a building or event. The opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup are huge events involving thousands of participants and watched by a massive worldwide audience. On a much smaller scale, some ceremonies mark the opening of a...
of the games.
In the first game of the 2008 Olympics tournament against Iran
Iran national basketball team
The Iran national basketball team represents Iran in international basketball competitions and is controlled by IR Iran Basketball Federation. It is one of the strongest teams in Asia, and the two time champions of the FIBA Asia Championship.-History:...
, Kirilenko scored 15 points, pulled down 5 rebounds and blocked 3 shots. Against Croatia
Croatia national basketball team
The Croatian national basketball team represents Croatia at international tournaments. It is organized by the Croatian Basketball Federation...
, he led his team in points scored with 18, and he scored his personal best in the games against Argentina
Argentina national basketball team
The Argentina national basketball team represents Argentina in basketball international competitions, and is controlled by the Argentine Basketball Federation....
, scoring 23.
Awards and honors
- NBA All-Star: 2004
- NBA All-Defensive TeamNBA All-Defensive TeamThe NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; the coaches are not allowed to vote for players on their own team...
: - First Team: 2006
- Second Team: 2004, 2005
- NBA All-Rookie First TeamNBA All-Rookie TeamThe NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. The All-Rookie Team is generally...
: 2002
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Utah
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 82 || 40 || 26.2 || .450 || .250 || .768 || 4.9 || 1.1 || 1.4 || 1.9 || 10.7
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
| align="left" | Utah
| 80 || 11 || 27.7 || .491 || .325 || .800 || 5.3 || 1.7 || 1.5 || 2.2 || 12.0
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" | Utah
| 78 || 78 || 37.1 || .443 || .338 || .790 || 8.1 || 3.1 || 1.9 || 2.8 || 16.5
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Utah
| 41 || 37 || 32.9 || .493 || .299 || .784 || 6.2 || 3.2 || 1.6 || 3.3 || 15.6
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Utah
| 69 || 63 || 37.7 || .460 || .308 || .699 || 8.0 || 4.3 || 1.5 || 3.2 || 15.3
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Utah
| 70 || 70 || 29.3 || .471 || .213 || .728 || 4.7 || 2.9 || 1.1 || 2.1 || 8.3
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Utah
| 72 || 72 || 30.8 || .506 || .379 || .770 || 4.7 || 4.0 || 1.2 || 1.5 || 11.0
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | Utah
| 67 || 10 || 27.3 || .449 || .274 || .785 || 4.8 || 2.6 || 1.2 || 1.1 || 11.6
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | Utah
| 58 || 35 || 29.0 || .506 || .292 || .744 || 4.6 || 2.7 || 1.4 || 1.2 || 11.9
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | Utah
| 64 || 62 || 31.2 || .467 || .367 || .770 || 5.1 || 3.0 || 1.3 || 1.2 || 11.7
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 681 || 478 || 30.8 || .470 || .312 || .763 || 5.6 || 2.8 || 1.4 || 2.0 || 12.4
|-
| align="left" | All-Star
| align="left" |
| 1 || 0 || 12.0 || .333 || .000 || .000 || 1.0 || .0 || .0 || 1.0 || 2.0
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2001–02
2002 NBA Playoffs
The 2002 NBA Playoffs were the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2001–02 season. This would be the final postseason that held a best-of-5 first-round series; next year's postseason would see those series expanded to a best-of-7 format...
| align="left" | Utah
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 4 || 4 || 30.5 || .393 || .000 || .813 || 3.8 || 1.0 || 1.8 || 2.5 || 8.8
|-
| align="left" | 2002–03
2003 NBA Playoffs
The 2003 NBA playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2002-03 NBA season. This postseason was notable for being the first time all series were conducted in a best-of-7 format. It was also the only time in playoff history that no team was swept in a first-round series....
| align="left" | Utah
| 5 || 0 || 29.0 || .419 || .143 || .875 || 4.8 || 1.4 || .6 || 2.0 || 11.6
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
| align="left" | Utah
| 17 || 17 || 31.0 || .447 || .333 || .785 || 5.2 || 2.6 || .9 || 2.3 || 9.6
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
| align="left" | Utah
| 12 || 12 || 32.3 || .447 || .227 || .714 || 3.4 || 2.5 || 1.5 || 1.7 || 11.0
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Utah
| 5 || 3 || 27.2 || .468 || .200 || .714 || 2.8 || 2.0 || 2.2 || .6 || 11.0
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Utah
| 2 || 0 || 15.0 || .500 || .000 || 1.000 || 3.0 || .0 || .5 || .5 || 5.5
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 45 || 36 || 29.9 || .444 || .208 || .781 || 4.2 || 2.1 || 1.2 || 1.9 || 10.1
Player profile
Kirilenko is a versatile "big man" who can play either forward spot. He is noted for his high-level play in both offense (12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game NBA career averages as of 2011) and defense. On offense, he is proficient in drawing fouls, passing, and possesses a quick first step. He is lauded for his defense, as of 2006 three times selected into the NBA All-Defensive Team or Second Team. Staples of Kirilenko's defensive power are his shot blocking (with an NBA career 2.0 per game average as of March 23, 2011) and in stealing the ball (NBA career 1.4 per game average as of March 23, 2011).On January 3, 2006, against the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, Kirilenko posted a statline of 14 points, 8 rebounds
Rebound (basketball)
A rebound in basketball is the act of successfully gaining possession of the basketball after a missed field goal or free throw. Rebounds in basketball are a routine part in the game, as all possessions change after a shot is successfully made...
, 9 assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
, 6 steals
Steal (basketball)
In basketball, a steal occurs when a defensive player legally causes a turnover by his positive, aggressive action. This can be done by deflecting and controlling, catching, or batting to a teammate a pass or dribble of an offensive player...
and 7 blocks
Block (basketball)
In basketball, a block , not to be confused with blocking, occurs when a defensive player legally deflects a field goal attempt from an offensive player. The defender must not touch the offensive player's hands or otherwise a foul is called. In order to be legal, the block must occur while the shot...
. This was the third time in his career he racked up at least 5 in all of the other relevant categories. Arguably, his statline is one of the closest performances to a quintuple double in NBA history. It was also the first-ever regulation "5×6" — a game in which a player registers at least 6 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 blocks, and 6 steals — since the NBA began recording blocks and steals in the 1973–74 season. In 1987, Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association for the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors. He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995. In 2008,...
had 38 points, 17 rebounds, 12 blocks, 7 steals, and 6 assists for the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
in a double-overtime win over the Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
, the only other time a player has earned a 5×6.
Personal life
Kirilenko is married to Russian pop singer Masha "Marina" Lopatova, whose stage name is MaLo. Lopatova is the daughter of Russian basketball player Andrei Lopatov. Kirilenko met Lopatova at a youth basketball camp in Moscow, and Kirilenko appeared in one of Lopatova's music videos. In January 2011, Andrei and Masha acquired American citizenshipCitizenship in the United States
Citizenship in the United States is a status given to individuals that entails specific rights, duties, privileges, and benefits between the United States and the individual...
. They live in Cottonwood Heights, Utah
Cottonwood Heights, Utah
Cottonwood Heights is a city located in Salt Lake County, Utah, United States, along the east bench of the Salt Lake Valley. It lies south of the cities of Holladay and Murray, east of Midvale, and north of Sandy within the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. Following a successful...
and have two sons: Fedya (born 2002) and Stepan (born March 6, 2007). ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
reported in 2006 that Masha allows Andrei to have sex with another woman once per year and quoted her: "Male athletes in this country are extremely attractive. They get chased by women. It's hard to resist. It's the way men are by nature."
See also
- List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
- List of National Basketball Association players with 10 or more blocks in a game
- 2008 Summer Olympics national flag bearers2008 Summer Olympics national flag bearersDuring the Parade of Nations portion of the 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, athletes from each country participating in the Olympics paraded in the arena, preceded by their flag...
External links
- Blog of Andrei Kirilenko and Masha Lopatova on Sports.ru Official website
- Player Page at basketball-reference.com
- Andrei Kirilenko Player Profile (InterBasket)
- Andrei Kirilenko Basketboltr profile
- 2008 Olympic Basketball profile at FIBA.com
- Utah Jazz Roster
- Beijing 2008 Athlete profile
- Youtube: Andrei Kirilenko - A.K.47