Andrei Kirilenko: The Team He Always Wanted
Andrei Kirilenko watched the Chicago Bulls celebrate their 20th anniversary of its first NBA championship.
The nostalgic moment, with flashes of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen on the big screen, seems to make Andrei forget about their 27-point difference during halftime.
The 1991 Bulls fought against the "Showtime" Lakers, routing them to a 4-1 record. They were a tough and very dedicated team and for Kirilenko, they were the team he always wanted.
Looking at the opposite side of the court are those familiar faces, the sweet shooting Kyle Korver, the slasher Ronnie Brewer and their once-franchise player Carlos Boozer. He remembered the time they all played together.
They never really made it as far as the finals, but they were always a contender.
The Jazz never really recovered from losing all those players to free agency last summer. They were a team looking for their identity.
And when Utah traded their top point guard, Deron Williams, and strong-willed coach Jerry Sloan decided to go with retirement, everything seemed blurry on the team’s direction. They were like a ship without a captain.
Right now, their offense highly depends on their front court tandem in Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson. But those undersized center-forwards struggled more on bigger teams like the Lakers or the Dallas Mavericks.
There would be six players going to free agency this coming summer, including Kirilenko. A cloud of uncertainty hovers over the Jazz roster.
Kirilenko knows that the Jazz will eventually go rebuilding. However, he never expected it would happen this fast, this drastic.
Kirilenko watched the Bulls celebrate its magical team that brought pride and honor to Chicago. He is just glad he is just part of history, even though he is on the other side.
With free agency looming, Kirilenko hopes the Jazz could sign him and make good choices with quality trades and rookies. The Jazz is a new team now, with a bright promise ahead.
That old team with Boozer and Williams is now a thing in the past. He hopes to be part of the future, and maybe he could find the team he always wanted.
But like the 1991 Bulls, it remains a nostalgic dream and a distant possibility.
