The Competition: Andrei Kirilenko
01 October 2008
When the Soviet Union collapsed, its basketball team went with it. But now, seventeen years later, Andrei Kirilenko is leading the Russian revival.
For decades, the U.S.S.R. posed a major threat to the United States, both on and off the court. It was a rivalry full of controversy (’72), boycotts (’80 and ’84) and hard-fought games all around. But when the Iron Curtain came down in the early ’90s, the Soviet Empire broke apart, putting an abrupt end to Russia’s glory days in basketball.
From the ashes of Communism arose a new Russian team, assembled with the hope of rekindling former glory. But it soon became clear that they were a mere shadow of the 1972 and 1988 gold medal teams, even failing to qualify for the Games in '92 and '96. They showed a glimmer of promise during the '94 and '98 FIBA World Championships, coming home with the silver – but again, they struggled to stage a comeback, finishing 8th at the 2000 Games and missing out on the 2004 altogether.
Recently, however, Russia has experienced a revival. Led by Andrei Kirilenko, known as AK-47, the 2007 Russian National Team beat defending world champs Spain by just one point, winning the Eurobasket tournament in the most dramatic way possible. Kirilenko’s stifling defense shut down the top offensive players across all opposing teams, earning him the MVP award.
The mighty Russia was back.
After dominating the Russian leagues and European tournaments, Andrei was picked up by Utah in the first round of the 1999 NBA Draft. At just 18 years and four months, he was the youngest European player ever drafted. Since joining the Jazz, he‘s made the All-Rookie team, three consecutive All-Defensive teams, and has been an All-Star.
During this year's playoffs, Andrei went head-to-head with the Lakers in a six-game war for the West. His defense was the key to containing Kobe, giving the Jazz an opportunity to win two clutch home court games. And though they couldn’t pull out the victory and move to the Finals, Kirilenko proved himself against the man commonly known as the best player in the world.
It’s been 20 years since his national team tasted gold at the Summer Games. This summer, AK-47 will have a chance to square off once again with the world's best. The Russian basketball renaissance is finally underway – and Kirilenko is leading the charge.
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