Report: Kirilenko 'ready' to leave NBA, $63M contract
ESPN.com news services


Andrei Kirilenko is so prepared to leave the Utah Jazz, he's willing to forsake the remaining $63 million of his contract to play overseas.

According to a translation by The Salt Lake Tribune, Kirilenko said in an interview with the Russian newspaper Sport Express that he is prepared to go without the money remaining on his NBA contract to get away from the Jazz.

According to the Tribune, Kirilenko is quoted in the Russian newspaper as saying: \"I just want to explain to everybody what I think and feel and that I could sacrifice my career with the NBA. The only thing I'm not prepared for is if I'm told, 'Andrei, we want you to stay anyway.' I'm sure then the next season would be a repetition of the previous one, and what will the fans say then? How could you possibly rely on a player who wants to leave?\"

Kirilenko, who is under contract through the 2010-11 season, told Sport Express he thinks the chances of his contract being voided are small. But he remains steadfast in his desire to leave Utah, even if it means playing on a worse team, NBA or otherwise.

\"I have never been unfair and I don't want to enjoy something that I don't deserve,\" Kirilenko told Sport Express. \"Big money is obviously good, but I am prepared to make less. The size of my salary doesn't mean that much for me. The main thing is to play with a spark.\"

He says he would like to play in Russia, although as long as he is under contract with Utah, that cannot happen as NBA and FIBA teams must honor each other's contracts. Kirilenko starred for CSKA Moscow in the Euroleague before coming to the NBA, but he says he'd also consider other European teams.

\"I would like to be where I am needed and right now I feel that my country needs me,\" Kirilenko told Sport Express. \"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.\"

Kirilenko could face a fine or suspension by the Jazz if he fails to report to camp on Oct. 1.

He contrasted his displeasure with Jazz coach Jerry Sloan with the experience he had with Russian coach David Blatt during the recent European Basketball Tournament. Russia won the tournament and Kirilenko was named MVP.

\"Last year, we had a conversation with him,\" Kirilenko told Sport Express \"and Sloan said, 'Andrei, if you don't like something about the way I conduct training you could always break the contract with the Jazz.' So that's exactly what I want to do now!\"

Kirilenko doesn't want to lose another year or two playing for Sloan and told Sport Express he talked with Jazz owner Larry Miller while he was in Spain for the European Basketball Tournament.

\"It seems like Larry understood me,\" Kirilenko said. \"But he will make the final decision himself, obviously.\"

Holy. Crap.

Thanks for posting that! There's NO WAY he walks away from 63 million... is there????

Then again, he was crying after that one playoff game last season.

Wow, I wish Blount and Jaric would walk away from their contracts.

College Wolf:I believe he would do that. Kirilenko might seem introverted and almost autistic at times, but inside he is a highly emotional guy. He just keeps his emotions to himself...usually. Some might consider his crying last season a sign of weakness, but it isn't. He has been the same guy all over the years, playing with silent fire only few can see and feeding of his emotions to become the defensive intimidator he is. In this case, he is kinda like Artest, only more quiet, more self-controlled and without bad rap albums. That his (negative) emotions overwhelmed him and a guy like he is opens up his feelings to the public (as he had by talking openly to the press) only proofs HOW unbelievably miserable he is in Utah right now.

And if you had seen him playing at the ECs - which I have, you would know WHY he whants out and that it will be the best for him. Obviously feeling like a part of the team again, and not like the forgotten first child once the new baby is born, he played like the Kirilenko of old, filling the box score in every category thinkable, playing lock down defence (especially in the Finals on Pau gasol) and inspiring his teammates with his silent passion for the game. He was simply playing ball again...

So if you like to consider him emotionally fragile and a crybaby...feel free to do so. But without his emotions, he would never become the player he is and with emotions that strong, be sure he will forfeit everything to become a happy camper again. So either Sloan and the Jazz show him some sort of perspective for the upcoming season or he will either walk away from his millions or become the saddest and therefore most useless guy making 13Mil $ this league has ever seen.

Who knows what this guy is thinking. How miserable could you be making 13 million and playing basketball? But I guess money isn't everything. I wonder if he wife will still let him cheat on her once a year after he's not making that kind of cash.

College Wolf wrote:
And McHale, Wittman, McCants...

DeROK wrote:
Gosh, KIRILENKO!!! YOU DON'T KNOW HOW GOOD YOU HAVE IT!!!

Whiskeydizzy:As far as to my knowledge, AK47 has never used that \"cheat exeption\". The psychological trick in this is, that people always long for stuff they are not allowed to have...the forbidden fruit tastes always best. But once it is not forbidden anymore, things aren't that interesting anymore.

Believe me, I know what I am talking about, because my girlfriend also offered me that exeption, although - I do not know if that was the case with AK47 and his wife as well - she has the same right to be with some other guy one time per year. But neither I nor my girl have ever used that exception...so I guess there is almost no better protection against cheating but to make it less desireable. So I say, it is pretty clever by Kirilenko's wife to offer him such a deal.

But nontheless...yes, life has been good to AK47, as he is married to a Russian supermodel and this is something I can not claim for my own (because my girlfriend is Finnish )

DeROKNo offence and maybe I do missunderstand you (different native language and stuff), but isn't this always the argument we \"normal\" people use to make: \"Your earning a gazillion per year for following your hobby, so shut the heck up and be happy with it\". And usually, this argument comes into play when players become to greedy or do not put enough effort in it or complain without willingness to sacrifice themselves.

But in Kirilenkos case, I say things are completely different. We finally HAVE one player here who only wants to play basketball. And basketball means so much to him, that he is willing to sacrifice millions just to play again...for some lottery bound, rebuilding franchise or even for some unknown small town club in Siberia, without all the benefits of the NBA life. This man seems of pure and honest heart. He is not trying to force his way \"to a contender\" or putting the gun on the franchise's chest to get a better contract or a coach he likes or whatever. Money doesn't mean a thing to him...only the game does.

Isn't that what we always complain about? That players don't care about the game anymore? This man DOES. He needs the game to be happy and believing he could not be happy in Utah anymore, he is willing to forfeit everything.

So I believe, in Kirilenko's case, the unusual point is, that money DOES NOT matter to him. And we should respect this.

Yeah, I get the fact that he's not trying to force a trade or trying to get more money out of the Jazz. If he wants to walk away from millions because he'd be happier somewhere else, that's his decision. So I'm not saying he's a bad guy for doing it.

I just personally don't understand how you could be THAT miserable that you'd be willing to walk away from all that money. He still gets to play basketball, just maybe not for the team he wants. I just think that there's so much good that can be done with that much money, that leaving it on the table just so you can play for another team you like better, is kind of crazy.

@ DeROK:
Ah, now I understand your point. Sorry for not getting that earlier.

It might indeed be difficult to understand for you and me how someone, having access to more money one \"normal\" person can ever spend plus the mentioned \"beneficiaries of the live of an NBA player\", would forfeit all this. But like I said in my first post, having followed his career since he was 17, truly believe that he - like most Russians I know - might seem calm and silent, but is a volcano of emotions inside. And another thing: This guy is extremely proud (again like many Russians). He feels betrayed, neglected and forgotten by Sloan and the Jazz. And when your feelings are hurt by your boss every day you go to work and you see the chance to be treated better with another company. Wouldn't you want to try it even if you earned a few bucks less there?

And to be honest: I guess no matter where he ends up...this guy, unlike most people...can be sure he will not starve or be unable to pay the rent or whatever. But the willingness to maybe \"downgrade\" his lifestyle just to feel valued again...speaks both for his emotionality as for his love for the game.

Money alone makes nobody happy. One can discuss if his reasons for feeling mistreated and sad are really that serious and if we would feel the same, just because our boss would not value our work anymore and would openly priviledge our new colleague albeit everything we have done for the company over all the years...but since he feels that way...I think it is just honest to say \"Boss, I don't want to work here anymore\".

HOWL to San. for all of his explanations and points. And for having the AK47 exception rule with his girlfriend as well! I like how you Euro's roll!

Sanyarin wrote:
But nontheless...yes, life has been good to AK47, as he is married to a Russian supermodel and this is something I can not claim for my own (because my girlfriend is Finnish )
[/quote]

LOL

Böööööööööööööööööh....*if I may say so*

After a serious one-on-one discussion with Sloan, who seems to get a little bit mild-mannered on his old days, AK47 seems to have refrained a little bit from his trade request: See this at SI.com.

That's surely good for the Jazz to keep AK47 around, because if he can get his emotions back under control, he still is an All-Star caliber player. That of course lowers the chances of a Marion trade even lower...which imo were extremely slim even before one of the most obvious destinations (Utah) seem to have calmed down their own problem child.