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Yulia Aleksandrovna Petrova, Elena Borisovna Spiridonova Kirilenko Andrey Gennadievich - Russian basketball player

Andrey Gennadievich Kirilenko - professional Russian basketball player, playing for the team of the National Basketball Association "Utah Jazz", plays in the position of a light or heavy forward. At the age of 15 he made his debut in adult basketball. He is the captain of the Russian national basketball team and the highest paid Russian athlete in the entire history of national sports. His last six-year contract, signed in 2004 with Utah Jazz, is $ 89 million. In accordance with this contract, Andrei Kirilenko will play for Utah Jazz until 2011, that is, until his thirtieth birthday.

Tell the story as one famous Russian coach on basketball said to his players: “If you guys think that the guys from the NBA in expensive suits are just waiting to write you a check for the amount with seven zeros, then you are greatly mistaken. With their parkers with gold nibs, they will put on the contract exactly the amount that corresponds to your real value. And not a cent more. "

Indeed, in America, they know how to count money, and in the NBA, stars differ from just good players primarily in the amount specified in the contract, and the Russian athlete Andrei Kirilenko, with his 89 million dollars, rightfully takes an honorable place on the American basketball Olympus.

It is believed that there has not been such a talented basketball player in Russia for a long time who conquers one professional peak after another with an ease that boggles the imagination. The National Basketball Association is one of the most inaccessible sports planets for Russia, and Kirilenko managed to conquer it too.

The athlete has been playing in the NBA since the summer of 2001, after signing a contract with the Utah Jazz team. When he left, many did not believe in his success, they told him: "Where are you going, they will crush you there, marinate on the bench," but Kirilenko's first year in the NBA was enough to silence the skeptics. Thus, Andrei Kirilenko is the first and so far the only Russian athlete to reach the level of the NBA playoffs, where, at the age of 22, he managed to become one of the best newbies associations.

Kirilenko made his debut as a Utah Jazz player on October 30, 2001 in the opening match of the NBA regular season, gaining 16 points in 16 minutes, making 5 rebounds and 1 interception. His team played against Milwaukee. Just a few months after his debut, Kirilenko was recognized the best sniper Utah in the regular season match against Memphis, in which the athlete managed to score 15 points.

In one of his interviews, Andrei Kirilenko admitted: “When I was little and just started playing basketball, I thought about getting into some good team... At the beginning, this “dream team” was the St. Petersburg “Spartak”, then CSKA. So it turned out that I played a year in Spartak, and then an invitation from Eremin followed to try his hand at an army club. So everything I dreamed of came true. And now I'm playing Utah Jazz in the NBA. And this is also a dream come true, because I consider playing in the American League a significant step forward in my development as a basketball player. "

In April 2002, Andrei Kirilenko was recognized as one of the best rookies of the 2001/2002 season, and at the end of the season entered the symbolic five of the NBA rookies.

The leader of the Utah Jazz basketball team Karl Malone said about the young partner: “Of course, Andrey still has a lot to learn. But I haven't met a guy with such abilities for a long time. There is something in him ... from a bat. " Team coach Jerry Sloan agreed with Malone, who noted that Kirilenko “shows something new on the court every day, he plays in a relaxed way, and more than usual for our players, he improvises. At the same time, Kirilenko contributes to play style our club has new features ”. Incredibly, this was said about a young recruit of American basketball, whose style has evolved over a hundred years.

American fans nicknamed Kirilenko AK-47 in accordance with the initials of his first and last name, as well as by analogy with one of the varieties of the Kalashnikov assault rifle model. Andrei himself is not against such a nickname, so he took the number 47. “The achievements of the Russian military industry are very popular in the West,” says the athlete. “Bure is a Russian rocket. There was a hockey player Yakushev - Yak-40. Kafelnikov is called "Kalashnikov". My initials are AK - so God himself commanded. "

Basketball fans of "Utah" at each match with Kirilenko's participation hang homemade posters with the words in English: "Andrey is handsome! Forward!" and in Russian: "Welcome!"

“I have a motto:“ Ayga! ”, Says Kirilenko,“ which in Tatar means “Forward!” In following this motto, Andrey sees the secret of his successful sports career Kirilenko also thinks: “The main thing is not to lose before the match, not to think that we are ordinary earthly basketball players, and in the NBA there are all gods, against whom it is impossible to fight. One has only to calm this tremor - and that's it, you can play and win with them. "

Andrei Kirilenko's working day begins at 7.30, having a light breakfast, the basketball player goes to training, at 8.15 he is already at the doctor, who puts on tapes - this is the name of the special insurance that protects the ankles from injuries and dislocations, then rubbing with special ointments for warming up and starts at 10.00 workout lasting about two hours.

Andrei also notes how the relationship between mentors and their wards is developing. For example, in America, an athlete will never allow himself to talk with a coach in a raised voice during training, and even more so to argue. In addition, the coach himself during training is extremely firm and demanding of athletes. But after training, he is a cheerful, sweet person without any hint of his own importance.

In "Utah-Jazz" Andrey discovered the rules unusual for Russian athletes, for example, not to shake hands with a fallen opponent. This rule was introduced by the leader of the team Karl Malone. When one day during the game Kirilenko dropped one player, and then gave him his hand, Malone shouted at him, and explained in the locker room: "I have established such a rule, and we want you to observe it."

According to Andrey, getting ready for the game, he tries to dress very neatly so that nothing gets in the way during the game, he carefully puts tapes on his legs. He says that every basketball player has his own specific tradition of how to tie the laces correctly, in what order to put on socks, etc.

His height is 207 centimeters, after the end of his basketball career, he dreams of building basketball halls, swimming pools or organize your own basketball school. His ideal woman is Pamela Anderson, and in general, in women, Andrei values ​​first of all kindness, politeness, beauty and intelligence. Of the men, he respects Alexander Karelin and also Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, according to Andrey, is a thorough, cold-blooded person and can do everything out of nothing. Kirilenko does not drink alcohol, but drinks milk, wears shoes of the fiftieth size, which, like clothes, are made to order for him. If he had the opportunity to have a pet, then most likely it would be a panther. He wears a jersey number 47, although the athlete's favorite number is 13, Kirilenko believes that this number brings him good luck. And Andrey Kirilenko also has three favorite cities - St. Petersburg, Moscow and Salt Lake City. The first, according to the basketball player, is good for the soul, the second - for life, and the third - for the family, because the climate here is similar to the Russian one.

By the way about Russia. As the captain of the Russian national basketball team, Andrey is simply irreplaceable for the national team. This was clearly shown by the recent World Basketball Championship, during which Kirilenko received a leg injury. Left without their leader, the Russians were unable to rise above tenth place.

In 2004, Andrey signed another contract with Nike. Over the years of previous cooperation, the athlete managed to get to know the company's products well enough and personally see how convenient its products are. Nike, in turn, provides Kirilenko with the opportunity to choose a certain amount of goods for free, which the athlete gives to the novice basketball players of the Frunzenskaya Sports School in St. Petersburg, where he once trained himself. In addition, under the contract, Kirilenko holds various events hosted by Nike 3-4 times a year. The contract with the company is designed for 5 years, during which famous basketball player will receive 550 thousand dollars a year.

The 2005/06 season was unsuccessful for Andrey, his injuries prevented the athlete from showing a decent game. After the statement by the owner of the club, Larry Miller, that the basketball player “walks on thin ice"Due to weak play and harsh statements in the press, rumors spread that Utah Jazz intends to get rid of the player. Other teams became interested in the transfer value of the Russian basketball player. However, the vice-president of the Utah Jazz NBA club Kevin O "Connor said:" These assumptions are absolutely unfounded. We are not going to exchange Andrei Kirilenko, "and also noted that the increased interest in the athlete from other clubs only proves that" Utah Jazz ”is not wasting large sums of money on the salary of a Russian.

Kirilenko confirmed this in the 2006/07 season. In an interview with Sport-Express, he said that he was in excellent shape, and also expressed his opinion about his own income: “Everyone deserves what he deserves. I'm working out my money. If you look at my body, it is all wounded. In fact, paying that kind of money like you pay in the NBA is, in my opinion, crazy. But this is American professional basketball. This is primarily a business, not a sport. Thanks to a well-functioning highly developed industry, all costs are more than paid off. "

Curriculum Vitae

Andrey Kirilenko was born on February 18, 1981 in the city of Izhevsk. He became interested in basketball at the age of seven, and at the age of ten he was already invited to train at a sports school in St. Petersburg. In 1995-1996. Kirilenko as part of the city team becomes the champion of Russia in his age category. The talented young man was noticed and soon followed by an invitation to the adult team.

In 1997, 15-year-old Andrey played his first debut match for the Super League team - Spartak. In the victorious match over his teammates from Moscow, Kirilenko earned not only the first "adults" 3 points, but also the title of the youngest player in the history of the Super League. In the summer of the same year, the Russian youth team, led by Kirilenko, won silver medals at the European Championship, and the forward himself was recognized as one of the best players in the tournament.

In the 1997/1998 season. the novice basketball player regularly appeared in the starting lineup of Spartak.

In 1998, Kirilenko, at the invitation of Stanislav Eremin, moved to Moscow, where he began his performances for the CSKA team, demonstrating his readiness for "big" basketball literally from the first games.

According to the Sport-Express newspaper, Kirilenko was recognized as the most progressive player in the 1998/1999 season, and foreign clubs were interested in him.

In 1999, Kirilenko announced his candidacy for the 1999 NBA Draft and was selected by the Utah Jazz club. Kirilenko was the youngest European in basketball history to be drafted, just over 19 years old.

Also, Andrei Kirilenko was the youngest in the history of the matches of the "All Stars of Europe", in which the athlete took part in December 1999.

In May 2000, Kirilenko won the gold medals of the Russian championship for the second time and was recognized as the best player in the championship, and by the end of the year he became the best basketball player in Russia according to the Russian Basketball Federation. European recognition soon followed: the French weekly Basket News named Kirilenko the best basketball player in Europe for the 2000/2001 season.

Since 2001 Andrey Kirilenko has been a Utah Jazz player.

Andrey Kirilenko has been married for several years and has two sons.

Curriculum Vitae

Andrey Kirilenko is a renowned basketball player who for many years has been one of the most prominent representatives Russian school basketball. There are many awards in his collection, but today we will try to push sports to the background and talk about our today's hero not only as an athlete, but also as an ordinary person.

Childhood and family of Andrei Kirilenko

Andrei Kirilenko was born on February 18, 1981 in the Udmurt city of Izhevsk. The father of our today's hero - Gennady Kirilenko - was also in the past famous athlete, and at the time of the birth of his son, he was already training one of football teams Leningrad region. As for basketball, Andrei's mother, Olga, was engaged in it. During professional career she managed to play in such teams as Spartak, Hammer and Sickle, Petrel and Skorokhod.

Andrey Kirilenko with his wife and daughter

The permanent place of residence for the family of the future athlete was the city of Leningrad. However, during pregnancy, Andrei's mother went to his mother in Izhevsk, and therefore our today's hero was born in Udmurtia. At the age of four months, the boy first appeared in the city above the Neva. It was there that the basketball player's childhood and youth subsequently passed.

In his early years, Andrei Kirilenko was fond of football, handball and swimming. However, already in the first grade, he decided to connect his life with basketball. He began to engage in this sport at the Children's and Youth Sports School of the Frunzensky District of Leningrad (St. Petersburg). Some time later, the guy got into the city team. It was with this team that our today's hero achieved his first successes, having won the Russian Basketball Cup in one of the younger age categories.

According to one of the coaches of the young basketball player, his talent was already visible from early childhood... This is probably why very soon our today's hero was included in his first professional club.

Professional career of basketball player Andrey Kirilenko

The first milestone in Andrey Kirilenko's sports career was the St. Petersburg Spartak. Having made his debut on the court in January 1997, our today's hero became the youngest player in the entire history of the Russian championship (at that time he was only sixteen years old). In his first season, Andrei played only three games on the court, but already in next year managed to become one of the main players of the team.

With his inspired play, Andrei managed to attract the attention of CSKA Moscow, which lured young player in the summer of 1998. The basketball player began to justify the trust placed in him already in the first season. He averaged 12.5 points per game, and later managed to win the Russian championship together with the army team. In the Euroleague, the team reached the quarterfinals of the tournament, which was also a good experience for the young player.

In the 1999/2000 season, Andrei Kirilenko began to gain more than thirteen points per game, and therefore very soon became the recognized leader of CSKA. That season, our today's hero again became the champion of Russia, and also won the title of the best player in the entire championship. At that moment, it became clear that the player would not stay in the Russian Championship.

Andrey Kirilenko in the NBA

The 2000/2001 season was the most difficult for CSKA in a long time. The team was left without medals, and the bright play of the young striker remained the only bright spot against the background of the general despondency. As a result, in 2001, Andrei Kirilenko left his former team and joined the ranks of one of the clubs of the National Basketball League - "Utah Jazz".

As part of his new team, the Russian station wagon spent ten full-length seasons. During this time, he became one of the most visible players in his team, as well as one of its highest paid players. As part of the Utah club, Andrei Kirilenko managed to achieve many significant victories, but he did not manage to become the NBA champion. Despite this, our today's hero got into the symbolic team several times of this tournament, and also once participated in the all-star league match. In 2007 and 2012, Andrei Kirilenko was recognized as the best player in the Old World according to the European Basketball Association.

These successes were interspersed with the player's successes at the national team level. Playing for the national team of Russia, the talented forward won the gold of the European Championship (Spain-2007), and also became the bronze medalist of this championship (Lithuania-2011). In addition, in 2012, Andrei Kirilenko, together with the Russian national team, managed to reach third place in the Olympic tournament in basketball. The player can also add this success to himself.

Andrey Kirilenko has an amazing tattoo

These victories brought our today's hero the title of Honored Master of Sports of Russia, as well as the Order of Merit to the Fatherland (second degree).

Due to the NBA lockout in 2011, the player spent the 2011/2012 season in Russia. As part of CSKA, he became the champion of the VTB United League, but later moved overseas again. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets became the next stages in the career of the star striker. As part of the last of the named clubs, the player continues to this day.

Personal life, Sergei Kirilenko at the present time

In 2011, our today's hero was married to a girl named Maria Lopatova, who is the daughter of basketball player Andrei Lopatov. The girl is eight years older than her husband.

Today the couple lives in Salt Lake City and has three children - two sons and a daughter. In addition, the spouses have real estate in Russia and France. At the moment, Andrei, his wife and children are citizens of the United States of America.

Since 2003, Kirilenko has been actively involved in charitable activities within the framework of the Kirilenko's Kids Foundation. This organization supports the development children's sports and also helps people with disabilities.

In 2012, Andrei Kirilenko supported Mikhail Prokhorov during the elections in the Russian Federation and even officially became his confidant.

Andrey Kirilenko is the undisputed number one in recent history domestic basketball. Becoming the star of the Russian championship, he went to the NBA, where he soon earned an excellent reputation among colleagues, coaches and journalists.

Kirilenko Andrey Gennadievich

Born on 18.02.1981

Player career:

• Spartak St. Petersburg (1996-1998).
• CSKA Moscow (1998-2001).
• Utah Jazz (2001-2011).
• CSKA Moscow (2011-2012).
• Minnesota Timberwolves (2012-2013).
• Brooklyn Nets (2013-2014).
• CSKA Moscow (2015).

Team achievements:

• Bronze medalist of the 2012 Olympic Games.
• European Champion 2007.
• Bronze medalist of the 2011 European Championship.
• Champion of Russia 1999, 2000, 2012.
• VTB United League Champion 2012, 2015.

Personal achievements:

• Most Valuable Player of the 2007 European Championship.
• Best European Basketball Player 2012.
• Most Valuable Player in the 2012 Euroleague Regular Championship.
• Most Valuable Player in the 2012 VTB United League regular season and playoffs.
• The best player championships of Russia in 2000, 2012.
• 3 hits in the NBA All-Star National Team (2004-2006).
• Member of the 2004 NBA All-Star Game.
• The leader of the 2005 NBA regular championship in block shots.

Further career:

• President of the Russian Basketball Federation (2015-present).

Petersburg talent

Kirilenko was born in sports family- in particular, his mother was a professional basketball player. In Leningrad, where Andrei was transported shortly after giving birth, he began to play basketball. The boy quickly made him talk about himself in the city, and soon became the champion of Russia as part of the St. Petersburg national team among the children of his year of birth.

Kirilenko made his debut for the local Spartak at the age of 15 - this is a record in the history of Russian championships. And if at first he was released only in order to "breathe" the game, then from the next season Andrei was firmly entrenched in the basis of the team. At the age of 17, he was already gaining more than 10 points per game, becoming the subject of discussion by all specialists.

In 1997, Kirilenko became the most valuable player in the European Youth Championship and won silver medals there along with the Russian national team. A year later, he again becomes the second - this time at the World youth games ah in Moscow.

Just the same in the summer of 1998 Kirilenko moved to the capital - he took the St. Petersburg star to himself main club countries - CSKA. In the camp of the army team, Andrei does not shake himself and, as in Spartak, becomes the most important part of the mechanism. Over the three seasons spent at CSKA, he brings his average performance to 14.5 points per game and leaves for the NBA as a two-time champion of Russia and the main hope of domestic basketball.

Kirilenko is a light forward, but he is good at rebounds and is particularly good at defensive action; his regular diet includes block shots, interceptions. And how Andrei flies over the ring, just a sight for sore eyes. His dunks look no worse than their overseas counterparts. However, all this could turn out to be an ordinary illusion until Kirilenko shows himself in the best league the world.

NBA career

Andrey went overseas at the age of 20. Utah, which drafted him in the summer of 1999, was in need of new staff. The long-term leaders of the team were in their pre-retirement basketball age and began to fail predictably.

Kirilenko's debut in the NBA can be considered successful. At the end of the first season, he got into the symbolic top five of the League's newcomers, which meant one thing - Andrey was recognized. And although the first two years he mainly came out on the floor from the bench, Jerry Sloan liked his game. Andrey followed the instructions of the coach in a disciplined manner and proved himself to be a real team player.

In the summer of 2003, "Utah" at once lost their stars - Malone went to the Lakers to and, and Stockton retired. Thus, Kirilenko became the main attacking option of the team. Of course, Andrei has never been a real sniper. Yes, he could attack from behind the arc, and after solo passes, but still he did it with not the highest percentage. But times have changed, and the initiative had to be taken in the attack.

He finished three championships in a row with exceeding the 15-point mark per match. But first of all, Kirilenko proved to be a great all-rounder. He collected around 8 rebounds, made 3-4 assists, 2 interceptions and about 3 block shots per evening. According to the last indicator, he became the leader of the 2004/2005 season.

For three years in a row, Andrey was a member of the NBA all-star defense teams, and in the winter of 2004 he got to the All-Star Game. In fact, Kirilenko was crowned. And if not for Andrei's excessive lack of selfishness and not the best natural throw, Kirilenko would be a real superstar of the Association.

Unfortunately, Sloan realized that it was not the best option to make the main bet in attacking our compatriot. As a result, Kirilenko's playing time was reduced from 37 to 30 minutes per match, and the number of shots performed by Andrey, predictably decreased. Kirilenko spent the five remaining championships in Utah at the level of the first seasons - solid, but no more.

After moving to Minnesota after a lockout in the summer of 2012, Andrey spent good season in the camp of "wolves", but at the end he made a mistake. Not becoming to renew the agreement with his employer, Kirilenko moved to the club of Mikhail Prokhorov - "Brooklyn", but lost both in money and in the game.

In the Nets, his statistics became the worst in all years of his career in the NBA, and as a result, Andrey was sold to Philadelphia. However, Kirilenko refused to play for her, and he was put up for the draft refusals. This was the end of the career of our striker overseas.

European maestro

Despite the fact that Andrei failed to become a real star in the NBA, by European standards he grew into a big player. Between his performances for Utah and Minnesota, Andrei played for a year at CSKA, for which Russian basketball fans can thank the lockout overseas.

Andrey Kirilenko is the leader of CSKA

Kirilenko 2011/2012 is absolutely the best player in Europe. He was especially good in Euroleague matches, becoming its most valuable player in the regular season. Surely Andrei would have been recognized as the MVP of the Final Four, if not for the outright failure of CSKA in the fourth quarter of the decisive match, which allowed Olympiacos to first catch up with the army team, and at the end of the meeting to snatch victory.

Despite the numerous victories from CSKA and two bronze medals from the national team (the 2011 European Championship and the 2012 Olympics), EuroBasket 2007 will forever remain the most important tournament in Kirilenko's career. Our team arrived in Spain in a status far from being a favorite. Nevertheless, from match to match, David Blatt's wards added, and it was Kirilenko who was the ringleader on the court.

Andrey, who missed the leading functions in Utah, took his heart out at this championship. Taking the lead in difficult moments, he, as a rule, did not fail. There is no need to talk about impeccable defensive actions - they were his strong point throughout his career. In the semifinal and final matches, Kirilenko became the most productive in our team and at the end of the tournament he was deservedly recognized as his most valuable player.

Andrey Kirilenko - 2007 European champion

Hero of Russia

For Russia, Kirilenko is truly priceless. After the generation of Karasev, he became the first star of the new Russian basketball and the only our compatriot who was able to make a worthy career in the NBA. Yes, he failed to become a truly top player overseas, but among the Europeans, in principle, there are only a few of them.

But in the national team, Andrei showed himself as befits the best basketball player in Russia. Kirilenko became a symbol of a generation that was able to reverse a series of long-term failures and win medals for the country at the largest starts.

Andrey ended his career two years ago, at the age of 34. He could well have played for CSKA today and be one of the best among the army team. But Kirilenko decided otherwise, and now he is the president of the Russian Basketball Federation, in which a few years ago there were more scandals than ever before.

Having barely finished his playing career, Andrei Gennadievich almost immediately set to work for the good of his country. And if he manages to be as effective in this field as on the court, everything will be fine in Russian basketball.

President of the Russian Basketball Federation, Honored Master of Sports of Russia, Olympic bronze medalist, European champion, four-time Russian champion, two-time VTB United League champion, the best European basketball player in 2012

One of the most titled athletes in Russia, one of the best players in the history of Russian, European and world basketball, whose technical arsenal was the envy of even black basketball legislators in the United States.

Andrey Gennadievich Kirilenko was born on February 18, 1981 in the city of Izhevsk, Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, where his mother was from, a professional basketball player who played at different times for the Leningrad teams "Petrel", "Spartak", "Hammer and Sickle" and "Skorokhod". All conscious childhood, adolescence and adolescence of Andrei were held in St.Petersburg, where the head coach of the women's football club Iskra (Leningrad Region) was served by his father.

Born into a family of professional athletes and having tried swimming and football by that time, seven-year-old Andryusha Kirilenko began playing basketball professionally at the Children's and Youth Sports School of the Frunzensky District of St. Petersburg with Alexei Vladimirovich Vasiliev. At the age of 14, as part of the St. Petersburg national team, he became the Russian basketball champion among players of his age. And in January 1997, at less than 16 years old, he played the first match for his first professional club - Spartak (St. Petersburg) and became the youngest professional player in the history of the Russian championships. However, A. Kirilenko did not play for Spartak for long - everyone can see the true talent, everyone needs it.

In 1998, the famous Stanislav Eremin called A. Kirilenko to "serve" in the Moscow BC "CSKA". There, 17-year-old Andrey without a shadow of embarrassment immediately showed that he can play on equal terms with the leaders: already in his first game (September 28, 1998, with Dynamo Maikop), he entered the starting five and gave an impressive result - 25 points! The first two seasons, played for CSKA, brought A. Kirilenko the title of champion of Russia, and in the 1999-2000 season he was recognized as the best player in the Russian championship. And in the third season (2000-2001), together with CSKA, he first reached the FIBA ​​Euroleague Final Four.

First called up to the Russian national team in 2000, Andrei Kirilenko competed in the Sydney Olympics, where the Russian team reached the quarterfinals. A. Kirilenko did not participate in the 2004 Olympics, since the Russian national team “did not qualify” there according to the results of the previous European Championship-2003. At the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where A. Kirilenko was entrusted to carry the Russian flag at the opening ceremony of these Games, the Russian team did not make it to the playoff stage. But at the 2012 Olympics in London, Russian basketball players, including the efforts of A. Kirilenko, won the honorary "bronze". Already in the opening match against the British national team, Kirilenko scored a record 35 points, played in the tournament for the longest time in the team and showed the best result in the team in terms of points (17.5) and rebounds (7.5), scored on average per game. He also entered the symbolic team of the tournament according to the ESPN TV channel.

As part of the Russian team, in which he soon became the undisputed leader, A. Kirilenko took part in the games of the European Championships in 2001, 2003, 2005 (team captain) and 2007, as well as in the 2002 World Championship.

EuroBasket 2007 in Spain became a memorable one for Kirilenko. The Russian national team for the first time in its history (without taking into account the achievements of the USSR team) became the winner of the continental championship. A. Kirilenko played several outstanding matches, the best of which was the semi-final with Lithuania (86:74). In this meeting, he scored 29 points, converted 9 of 11 shots from the field. As a result of the championship, A. Kirilenko was included in the symbolic European team, recognized as the "most useful player" (MVP) of the tournament and received the title of Honored Master of Sports of the Russian Federation.

In the 2009 and 2010 seasons, the Russian national team played without Kirilenko - for family reasons, he could not take part in the 2009 European Championships and the 2010 World Championships. In 2011, Kirilenko returned to the national team and played at the European Championship in Lithuania. Having won ten out of eleven meetings, losing only to the French national team in the semifinals, in the match for third place the Russian national team beat the Macedonian national team and won bronze medals, and Kirilenko entered the symbolic team of the tournament.

In September 2013, A. Kirilenko announced the end of his career as a player in the Russian national team.

It so happened that b O most of A. Kirilenko's sports achievements are associated with his game on the American continent, where in different clubs NBA (US National Basketball Association) he played for over 10 years.

In the 2001-2002 season, 20-year-old Andrei Kirilenko wearing a T-shirt numbered “47”, which instantly stuck the nickname “AK-47” to him, made his debut at the Utah Jazz club. The youngest European NBA draftee of that season, AK-47 impressed the coach (J. Sloan), colleagues and spectators with its fanatical passion for the game. He played all 82 games of the season, including 40 in the starting lineup, worked flawlessly, averaging 10.7 points per game, and was named one of the top five NBA rookies at the end of the season. And in April 2002, he became the first Russian to play in the NBA playoffs.

In the 2002–2003 season, A. Kirilenko played even more efficiently, gaining 12.0 points per game in 80 games he played. In the next season, Kirilenko, having played 78 games, became the best player of the Utah Jazz in scoring (16.2), rebounds (8.1), steals (1.92) and block shots (2.76) and entered the second symbolic defensive team of the NBA.

In the 2004-2005 season, Kirilenko was plagued by injuries. He played only 41 games, but nevertheless became the team's second best scoring player, averaging 15.6 points per game, topped the Utah Jazz in steals (1.63) and became the league leader in terms of blocks. -shots per game. At the end of the season, he entered the second symbolic NBA defensive team for the second year in a row and performed at the prestigious NBA All-Star Game.

The 2005-2006 season was the most successful in American career A. Kirilenko. He played in 69 games, 63 of them coming out from the first minutes. Kirilenko became the leader of his team and the leader of the NBA in terms of the total number of block shots (220) and the number of blocks per game (3.32), and also made two "triple doubles" - a unique achievement. Was included in the first symbolic defensive team.

In the 2006-2007 season, the Utah Jazz coaches changed the team's tactics. Kirilenko, who worked a lot at that time to further improve the throw, was forced to attack less, gaining an average of only 8.3 points per match. Not agreeing with Kirilenko's new role, he was almost ready to part with the club. Nevertheless, by the end of the season, the conflict was resolved, and he was already gaining an average of 11 points per game, which helped his team to reach the playoff stage.

The next three seasons, Andrei Kirilenko continued to play consistently and efficiently and in the 2010–2011 season entered the top ten highest paid NBA players. Andrey appeared on the court in 64 games of the season (62 starts), gaining an average of 11.7 points per game. In total, he played over 680 games for Utah.

The lockout that happened in the NBA that year returned Andrei Kirilenko to Russia at CSKA, where he played until the end of the 2011-2012 season. That season, together with CSKA, Kirilenko reached the Euroleague Final Four, won the VTB United League and won for the third time. gold medal champion of Russia. According to the season results, he was recognized as the MVP of the Euroleague regular season, the best defensive player in the Euroleague and entered the first symbolic Euroleague team, became the MVP of the regular season and the Final Four of the VTB United League, entered the first symbolic fives of the Euroleague and BEKO PBL.

In 2011, A. Kirilenko also received an American passport with his Russian passport, and on July 27, 2012, using the option of a contract with CSKA, which allowed him to return to the NBA if the lockout ended, he signed a contract with the NBA club Minnesota Timberwolves (Minnesota Timber Wolves), where he played in the 2012-2013 season.

“It was not an easy decision, because everything suited me at CSKA. I felt really comfortable, there was always an amazing atmosphere in the locker room. I was lucky - I was in good health and in good shape and managed to play at home for friends and family, for all Russian fans. But I have repeatedly stressed that I want to perform at the highest level. I feel enough strength and confidence to continue my career in the NBA, ”Kirilenko explained his departure from CSKA.

A. Kirilenko started the 2012–2013 season in the starting lineup at Timberwolves, where he served as the main defense specialist, and, being the most experienced player, served as a youth mentor. Playing for Minnesota, Kirilenko averaged 12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game. At the end of the season, despite a lucrative offer, Andrei decided to refuse to renew his contract with Minnesota and became an “unrestricted free agent”.

In 2013 A. Kirilenko signed a one-year contract with Mikhail Prokhorov's Brooklyn Nets. He was attracted by the opportunity (albeit for a lower salary) "to play in a team that has a chance for a championship." It was also important that the club had a Russian owner, whose confidant in the presidential elections in the Russian Federation A. Kirienko was in February 2012. At the end of the 2013–2014 season, Kirilenko used the option to extend his contract with Brooklyn for the 2014–2015 season.

On December 11, 2014, Brooklyn traded Kirilenko for the Philadelphia Seventi Sixers. Due to Andrey's refusal to play for Philadelphia, the club disqualified the player and terminated the contract with him. And Kirilenko was put up for the draft of refusals on February 22, and on the 24th he received free agent status after none of the NBA clubs claimed his rights.

On February 24, 2015, Andrei Kirilenko signed a contract with PBC CSKA until the end of the season and became the champion of Russia and the winner of the VTB United League as part of his native team, after which he ended his sports career.

In all the teams for which the universal basketball player A. Kirilenko played, due to his outstanding physical characteristics (height 206 cm, weight 102 kg) and excellent technical qualities, he played the role of either a light or a heavy forward, but played well in defense. With his unexpected actions in attack, Kirilenko skillfully forced the opponent to foul, punishing him with free kicks, could easily go into a quick break, pick up the ball on the offensive, saw the field perfectly, played a great pass game, creating opportunities for his partners to attack, and made a quick first step. And experts in covering the throw, equal to Kirilenko, in the world can be counted on the fingers of one hand - it is no coincidence that for his game in defense he was included in the national team of all NBA defense stars three times.

Talent, backed up by a strong will, desire and ability to work hard - this is about A. Kirilenko. Competent choice of position, clear block shots, effective rebounds and interceptions - the rich arsenal of "tactical and technical means" of "AK-47", multiplied by good greed for the game, allowed Andrey Kirilenko to become the 15th player in the history of the NBA, who made 1000 interceptions, 1000 block shots and 2000 accurate passes.

Thanks to his versatility, Kirilenko has achieved a very rare statistic three times in his NBA career, which in North America called "five-by-five" (English Five-by-five), when a basketball player for a match gains at least 5 points for each statistical indicator - points, assists, rebounds, steals and block shots. At the beginning of December 2003, A. Kirilenko reached the “five-to-five” indicator twice within one week, and on January 3, 2006, in a game with the Los Angeles Lakers team, he scored at least 6 points for each indicator (14 points + 8 rebounds + 9 assists + 6 steals + 7 blocks).

With age, A. Kirilenko preferred to create more opportunities for attacking partners than to attack himself. When he was reproached for not scoring enough, Andrey tactfully answered: “I have completely different tasks. I can score 20, maximum 25 points, but not more. To have time everywhere a little and to try to play so that my team wins - this is my task. "

In his entire career, he has never used a prohibited drug. The combat weight he gained and maintained was solely the result of hard work in the gym and proper nutrition. At the same time, Kirilenko has always been very correct both with partners and with rivals, and (especially!) - with annoying unceremonious fans and journalists.

The family of Andrei and Maria Kirilenko (nee Lopatova, daughter of the famous basketball player, world champion Andrei Lopatov) has three children: sons Fedor and Stepan and daughter Alexandra. The family, although firmly settled in the United States in the city of Salt Lake City (Salt-Lake City, Utah), but its roots remained in Russia, in Moscow.

Andrei Kirilenko is the highest paid Russian athlete in the history of Russian sports. His six-year contract, signed in 2004 with Utah Jazz, totaled $ 86 million.

In 2003, the Kirilenko spouses created the Kirilenko’s Kids charitable foundation in Salt Lake City. And since 2006, this Fund has been legally registered in Russia. The Foundation helps children's hospitals, orphanages and boarding schools, sports schools, basketball players with disabilities and sports veterans, and is also engaged in the development of mass children's non-professional sports. In 2012, A. Kirilenko donated to the "Kirilenko for Children!" all the money he earned at PBC CSKA in the 2011-2012 season.

On February 6, 2013, Andrei Kirilenko was named the best European basketball player of 2012 by the Italian edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport. This prize, annually presented by the authoritative international jury of Euroscar since 1979, he was the first Russian to receive. A month later, the basketball association FIBA ​​Europe also named Andrey Kirilenko the best player of 2012. This prestigious sports award became the second in his career - earlier A. Kirilenko was awarded this honorary title in 2007. It seems, however, that the title of the best basketball player in Russia and the love of teenagers and basketball fans both in the homeland of this unsurpassed master and throughout the world were no less worthy awards.

After a protracted crisis in Russian basketball, on August 25, 2015, at an extraordinary reporting and election conference of the RFB, Andrei Kirilenko was elected as the president of the Russian Basketball Federation. Andrey Gennadievich was unanimously elected to this position. As a result of the secret ballot, Kirilenko won 215 votes out of 215 possible.

A.G. Kirilenko - Honored Master of Sports of Russia, Olympic bronze medalist (2012), European champion (2007), European championship bronze medalist (2011), Russian champion (1999, 2000, 2012, 2015), VTB United League champion (2012, 2015) ...

Played for teams: Spartak (St. Petersburg) (1996-1998), CSKA (Moscow) (1998-2001; 2011-2012; 2015), Utah Jazz (Utah, USA) (2001-2011 ), Minnesota Timberwolves (Minnesota, USA) (2012–2013), Brooklyn Nets (New York, USA) (since 2013).

Awarded with a medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree.

One of the highest paid athletes in Russia - his annual earnings at Utah Jazz were about $ 15.3 million.

On August 8, 2008, Andrey was honored to carry the Russian flag at the opening of the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

In 2011, Kirilenko received US citizenship.

Biography

early years

Andrey Kirilenko was born on February 18, 1981 in Izhevsk. He started playing basketball professionally in St. Petersburg. In 1995, as part of the city's team, he became the champion of Russia among players born in 1981.

On January 18, 1997, as a member of Spartak St. Petersburg, Kirilenko made his debut in the Russian championship, becoming the youngest player in history at the age of 16. In the summer of 1998, the player moved to CSKA, with which he won two Russian championships. In the 2000/01 season, Kirilenko, together with his team, reached the Final Four of the FIBA ​​Superleague.

Utah Jazz

On June 30, 1999, Kirilenko was selected by the NBA Utah Jazz club as the 24th pick. At the time, the Russian was the youngest European basketball player to be drafted by the National Basketball Association.

Kirilenko made his debut in Utah in the 2001/02 season, following which he was included in the symbolic five of the best NBA rookies. Before the start of the 2003/04 season, the team left its long-term leaders John Stockton (retired) and Karl Malone (moved to the Los Angeles Lakers). After that Kirilenko became the leading player of Utah Jazz.

In the middle of the 2004/05 season, Kirilenko received a severe hand injury and returned to the site only in the fall of 2005. The 2005/06 season was the most successful for the Russian in his career. He became the best player in the NBA in terms of total number of block shots (220), and also made two triple-doubles.

In the 2006/07 season, Kirilenko's performance deteriorated significantly: Main coach"Jazzmen" Jerry Sloan built the attacking play of the team through other players. The basketball player himself in an interview with the Russian media has repeatedly stated that if the team game of "Utah" does not change, he does not exclude his move to another club. However, the Russian remained in the team.

In the 2007/08 season, Kirilenko played in the starting five in all regular season and playoff games and averaged 11 points per game.

In the 2009/10 season, Kirilenko's performance was not so strong due to injuries - he missed most of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets and managed to recover only by the second round of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers. where Kirilenko played two games.

At the end of the 2010/11 season, Andrei Kirilenko became a free agent. In connection with the lockout in the NBA on October 4, 2011, he signed a three-year contract with CSKA Moscow, if the lockout ended, he could return to the NBA. December 31, 2011 it became known that Andrei Kirilenko will play for CSKA until the end of the season.

Russian team

Kirilenko made his debut for the national team in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics. Played at the European Championships 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, World Championships 2002.

EuroBasket 2007 in Spain became a memorable one for Kirilenko. The Russian national team for the first time in its history (without taking into account the achievements of the USSR team) became the winner of the continental championship. Kirilenko played several outstanding matches, the best of which was the semi-final with Lithuania (86:74). In this meeting, the forward scored 29 points, having implemented 9 of 11 shots from the field. As a result of the tournament, Andrey was included in the symbolic team of the tournament and was recognized as the MVP of the tournament. Andrey also performed at Olympic Games in Beijing and was the standard-bearer of the Russian national team at the opening ceremony of the Games.

In 2009, Kirilenko refused to take part in Eurobasket 2009 for family reasons.

In 2010, Andrei Kirilenko decided not to participate in the 2010 FIBA ​​World Cup.

In 2011 he returned to the national team to participate in the European Championship, in which the Russian team took 3rd place.

Achievements

• Two-time champion Russia as part of CSKA: 1998/99 and 1999/2000.
• The best player in the Russian championship - 1999/2000.
• Champion of Russia-1995 in the team of St. Petersburg in the age category not older than 1981 year of birth.
• The youngest player in the history of the Russian Super League (15 years old).
• Participant of the "Star Matches" of Russia in 1999 and 2000.
• The winner of the overhead throw competition - 1999.
• Silver medalist of the 1997 European Championship among youth. MVP of the tournament.
• Silver medalist at the 1998 World Youth Games.
• The youngest participant in the "All-Star Games" in Europe (18 years 10 months 10 days).
• Participant of the FIBA ​​Euroleague Final Four - 2000/01.
• Best Basketball Player Europe 2000/01 season according to Basket News.
• 2007 European Champion, MVP and Best Forward of the Tournament
• Member of the NBA Rookie Matches (2002, 2003).
• NBA Rookie squad (2002)
• Member of the NBA All-Star Game (2004)
• 2005 NBA Block Shot Regular Championship Leader
• 3 times included in the national team of all NBA defense stars: 2006 (first team); 2004, 2005 (second team)
• FIBA Europe Player of the Year 2007

Professional quality

Andrey Kirilenko is a versatile player who can play as light or heavy forwards. Known high level his performances both offensively (12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in the NBA career at the end of the 2010/2011 season) and defensively. In attack, Kirilenko relies on collecting fouls by opponents, playing a pass and his quick first step. For his ability to play in defense, he was included in the national team of all NBA defense stars three times. The main strength of Kirilenko's defensive play is blocking shots and the ability to intercept the ball (2.0 blocks and 1.4 interceptions per game in the NBA career at the end of the 2010/2011 season).

Thanks to his versatility, Andrey has achieved a very rare statistic three times in his NBA career, which is called "five-by-five" in North America, when a basketball player scores at least 5 points per match for each statistic - points, passes, rebounds, interceptions and block shots. Andrei hit five-to-five twice in one week in early December 2003, and on January 3, 2006, in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers, he managed to achieve a five-to-six score when he scored not less than 6 points for each indicator. In the entire history, starting from the 1985/86 season, only Hakim Olajuwon managed to "make" "five-by-six". Olajuvon is also the only basketball player, besides Kirilenko, who managed to achieve more than one five-to-five indicator in his career - the famous center has 6 of them.

Statistics

Personal life

Andrey is married to Maria Lopatova, daughter of basketball player Andrey Lopatov. Maria is 8 years older than her husband. They have three children in the family - sons Fedor, Stepan and daughter Alexandra, who was adopted in 2009. The basketball player's wife recorded a music disc in 2002, and Kirilenko himself starred in his wife's video.

Andrey is a cousin of tennis player Maria Kirilenko.

During the NBA season, the Kirilenko couple live in their own house in Salt Lake City, and in the offseason they live in Moscow and France. The Kirilenko spouses created the Kirilenko’s Kids charity foundation, which provides assistance to orphanages, boarding schools, hospitals and sports schools in the United States and Russia.

Political activity

On February 9, 2012, he was officially registered as a confidant of the candidate for President of the Russian Federation Mikhail Prokhorov.