Andrei Kirilenko to walk away from his $63 mill NBA contract to play in Moscow?!

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Kirilenko ready to leave rich NBA deal

September 21, 2007

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.

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 title.

Kirilenko, who led Russia to the European title 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."
  

[7even]

See? I told ya he's in a hype cause he won the championship with Russia... nigga can't think right at the moment.

[GangstaBoogy]

What a crybaby. Tell that nigga to stick it out in Utah till they trade him.

[Lunatic]

What a crybaby. Tell that nigga to stick it out in Utah till they trade him.

[J$crILLa]

What a crybaby. Tell that nigga to stick it out in Utah till they trade him.

yeah no shit

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Lakers might pursue him.

[GangstaBoogy]

^ that'd be dope but they'd want more than we could afford to offer. If anything I can see the Suns swapping him for Marion.

[7even]

^ that'd be dope but they'd want more than we could afford to offer. If anything I can see the Suns swapping him for Marion.

That would bring the defense those niggas lack. And it would get that unhappy, over-confident, jealous ass Marion out. Good deal to me. But their owner is so damn broke he wouldn't be in it, cause Kirilenko is making some serious cash over the next 4 years. The Suns will go for Jamison I think... or stay put.

[rik]

Lakers might pursue him.

I don't want this bitch made fag with the Lake-show.

[Don Jacob]

man the jazz are cursed or something.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^ that'd be dope but they'd want more than we could afford to offer. If anything I can see the Suns swapping him for Marion.

That would bring the defense those niggas lack. And it would get that unhappy, over-confident, jealous ass Marion out. Good deal to me. But their owner is so damn broke he wouldn't be in it, cause Kirilenko is making some serious cash over the next 4 years. The Suns will go for Jamison I think... or stay put.

I'd have to consider Radman+Kwame though...

[GangstaBoogy]

Deron Williams Rips Kirilenko's Work Ethic

Utah point guard Deron Williams wants Andrei Kirilenko back with the Jazz next season, but hopes his unhappy teammate brings an improved work ethic with him.

In a Friday afternoon radio interview on 1280 The Zone, Williams told Salt Lake Tribune columnist Gordon Monson and co-host Kevin Graham that Kirilenko can be "a special player for us" if he returns with the right attitude.

Referring to teammates Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur, Williams said, "You see Booz after practice shooting for 25 or 30 minutes. You see Memo shooting for 20 minutes. You see, you know, all the rookies. The young guys. You saw [Rafael Araujo] in there working. [Then] you see Andrei being the first one out the door."

As the Jazz's quarterback, Williams admitted he has looked for other targets with his passes because of Kirilenko's approach to the game last season.

"If he's coming off a screen on one side and Matt [Harpring] is coming off a screen on one side, who do you think you're going to pass to?" Williams said.

"You think you're going to pass to the guy you see working every day in the gym or are you going to pass to the guy who never works on his shot but yet wants to shoot 'em every time?"

Asked if Kirilenko's work ethic was a problem, Williams said, "I would say so."

Wow thats interesting. I didn't know he wanted to be the main scoring option, I thought he was fine with being looked at as a great do it all player (ie: Gerald Wallace, Josh Smoth, Shawn Marion).

[7even]

Deron Williams Rips Kirilenko's Work Ethic

Utah point guard Deron Williams wants Andrei Kirilenko back with the Jazz next season, but hopes his unhappy teammate brings an improved work ethic with him.

In a Friday afternoon radio interview on 1280 The Zone, Williams told Salt Lake Tribune columnist Gordon Monson and co-host Kevin Graham that Kirilenko can be "a special player for us" if he returns with the right attitude.

Referring to teammates Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur, Williams said, "You see Booz after practice shooting for 25 or 30 minutes. You see Memo shooting for 20 minutes. You see, you know, all the rookies. The young guys. You saw [Rafael Araujo] in there working. [Then] you see Andrei being the first one out the door."

As the Jazz's quarterback, Williams admitted he has looked for other targets with his passes because of Kirilenko's approach to the game last season.

"If he's coming off a screen on one side and Matt [Harpring] is coming off a screen on one side, who do you think you're going to pass to?" Williams said.

"You think you're going to pass to the guy you see working every day in the gym or are you going to pass to the guy who never works on his shot but yet wants to shoot 'em every time?"

Asked if Kirilenko's work ethic was a problem, Williams said, "I would say so."

Wow thats interesting. I didn't know he wanted to be the main scoring option, I thought he was fine with being looked at as a great do it all player (ie: Gerald Wallace, Josh Smoth, Shawn Marion).

I wouldn't say that he wants to be the main scoring option because of that. If that was the case he'd be on Marbury/Artest-level intellectually.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

I think it's more a case of his heart not being in Utah than it is him wanting to be the main scoring option...Deron is right, Kirilenko can be a special player.

[Juronimo]

^ that'd be dope but they'd want more than we could afford to offer. If anything I can see the Suns swapping him for Marion.

That would bring the defense those niggas lack. And it would get that unhappy, over-confident, jealous ass Marion out. Good deal to me. But their owner is so damn broke he wouldn't be in it, cause Kirilenko is making some serious cash over the next 4 years. The Suns will go for Jamison I think... or stay put.

Bad Idea, Marion >>> Kirilenko

Kirilinko hasn't done anything in 2 years.