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SALT LAKE CITY, United States (AFP) - Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko is reportedly set to walk away from 63 million dollars remaining on his National Basketball Association contract.
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After translating an interview given to Russia's Sport Express newspaper, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Kirilenko said he is ready to leave the NBA and would most like to play in Moscow, leaving behind his big-money deal for his homeland.
"I am prepared to go without it," the Tribune quotes Kirilenko as saying. "This is a lot of money, even for an NBA club. So what? Maybe this money could go to pay for more players or for something else.
"I have never been unfair and I don't want to enjoy something that I don't deserve. Big money is obviously good but I'm prepared to make less. The size of my salary doesn't mean that much to me. The main thing is to play with a spark.
"I am ready for anything. I just need to leave Utah Jazz."
The Jazz, who are expecting Kirilenko to report for the start of training camp in 10 days, went 51-31 last season to win the NBA's Northwest division le.
Kirilenko, who led Russia to the European le earlier this month, said the only thing he couldn't handle was staying with the Jazz.
"The only thing I'm not prepared for is if I'm told, 'Andrei we want you to stay anyway,'" Kirilenko told the Russian newspaper. "How could you possibly rely on a player who wants to leave?"
"I would like to be where I am needed and right now I feel that my country needs me," Kirilenko said. "But I cannot exclude some European clubs.
"Trust me, I really am prepared to leave NBA. It certainly does not mean that I'm dying to go to Europe. I'm just ready."
Andrei Kirilenko, the national hero for leading his country to the recent European championship, has now said he wants to stay in Russia rather than play for the Jazz.
"I think the emotions that I experienced with the national side are worth going back to Russia and playing there for Russian supporters," Kirilenko said. Kevin O'Connor has said several times that they expect Kirilenko to be at training camp. Kirilenko is still under contract with Utah and couldn't join a Russian team without some sort of arrangement with the Jazz. Kirilenko will likely be back with the Jazz, but you'll have to stay tuned to see where he ends up next month. "The previous season let me understand that I cannot progress Utah," Kirilenko said.Right now the big story in the NBA is talk of Andrei Kirilenko’s defection back to Russia. It’s like the opposite of Captain Ramius in The Hunt for Red October. As refreshing as it would be to see someone be able to place their personal happiness over a substantial amount of cash, in this case more than $60 million, there is no way he’s going. It is more than $60 million.AK-47 close to making another jinx come true
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 09/23/2007 04:35:41 AM MDT
Click photo to enlargeKirilenko Lunch box«1»The Page 2 staff is very concerned about the Andrei Kirilenko situation and the implications involved. As such, we urge Jazz management to make every effort to resolve this conflict, keep Kirilenko and break the jinx.
Sports Illustrated cover jinx, be damned! This is serious.
We're talking about the Jiffy Lube Lunchbox jinx. Kirilenko appeared on the culinary container in 2003. The following year, former Jazz point guard Carlos Arroyo graced the lid. Arroyo was shipped out that same season. Never mind both players started acting like God's gift to basketball coming off stints with their respective national teams.
That has nothing to do with it. The madness has to end. It must stop with Kirilenko, because after Arroyo's swift removal from the Jazz's roster, team management tried to avoid promoting players who may fall short of the ideal. So there is one other member of the Jazz in danger of triggering the jinx.
The Bear was on the bucket for 2005. Save the Bear. Save the Bear.
Lmao
Soft !!!!
Just be glad that AK-47 isn't a Spurs player and a Utah Jazz guy. Let him screw over that franchise and be glad about it.
yeah they had scola that was alot like ak-47
Reverse Captain Ramius. LOL
Wow. For his sake, I hope he never has to go back to that locker room.
Whomever is advising him is a dumb . If he doesn't report, they can put him on the inactive list, they don't have to pay him, and he can't play anywhere else where FIBA is recognized, because FIBA nd the NBA have a working agreement to respect each other's contracts.
How will this affect the next Jazz playoff run? Man, that's a gaping hole to fill in their lineup....
I agree... AK47 has a gaping hole.
How would this impact their salary cap? Would they be able to go out and sign some big money guy who actually gave a ?
We've been known for having our share of softies. Couldn't stand the emotional weakness and vaginosity of Hedo and Rasho...these guys needed to be in the spotlight. Couldn't sit on the bench. What es. Viva Argentina!
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