Andrei Kirilenko Retires: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction
After spending 13 years in the NBA, former All-Star Andrei Kirilenko has decided to retire.
Sportando had the report Tuesday:
"Andrei Kirilenko officially announced his decision to retire. The Russian forward will likely run for Russian Basketball Federation Presidency.
"I decided to end my career. This is my final decision," Kirilenko told Sportexpress. "Now I would love to change something in Russian basketball," added the Russian forward who returned to Europe after a second stint in the NBA with Timberwolves, Nets and 76ers.
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Kirilenko appeared in seven games for the Brooklyn Nets this past season, averaging 0.4 points and 1.1 rebounds in 5.1 minutes per game before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in December. He never played a game in Philadelphia, and the Sixers eventually waived him following February's trade deadline after unsuccessfully attempting to move him in a deal.
He earned his lone All-Star bid in 2004 and made the NBA All-Defensive First Team in 2005-06 and the second team in 2003-04 and 2004-05. The pinnacle of his career came in the 2003-04 season with the Utah Jazz, when he averaged career highs in points (16.5) and rebounds (8.1) while also averaging 3.1 assists and 2.8 blocks per game.
James Herbert of CBS Sports sung Kirilenko's praises:
"You have to wonder how his career would be considered if he played in a slightly different era. Making his NBA debut in 2001, he spent 10 seasons with the Utah Jazz but missed out on the franchise's mid-to-late-90s glory. His game was before his time -- this was a skinny power forward with crazy length, athleticism and the ability to defend guards. Surely his younger self would thrive in today's game, and at 34 years old he'd still be a solid role player if injuries hadn't set him back. He should be remembered as an original.
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Kirilenko's career fizzled at the end, but in his Utah days, he was a dynamic, versatile forward who could take over a game on either end of the court. Even though his playing days are now over, he likely still has more to offer the game of basketball.
Whether he succeeds in his potential bid for the Russian Basketball Federation presidency or not, Kirilenko's next career step bears watching given his stated desire to help mold Russian basketball.
