Andrei Kirilenko facts for kids
Kirilenko in 2024
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | February 18, 1981 Izhevsk, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Russian / American | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24th overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Utah Jazz | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1997–2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Spartak St. Petersburg | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2001 | CSKA Moscow | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Partizan | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2011 | Utah Jazz | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | CSKA Moscow | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Minnesota Timberwolves | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Brooklyn Nets | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015 | CSKA Moscow | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 9,431 (11.8 ppg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 4,352 (5.5 rpg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 2,169 (2.7 apg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stats at NBA.com | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Andrei Kirilenko (born February 18, 1981) is a famous Russian basketball player who used to play professionally. He was so good that people nicknamed him AK-47. This nickname came from his initials (AK) and the number 47 he wore on his jersey. It also cleverly refers to the famous AK-47 rifle, which was first made in his hometown in Russia.
Andrei started playing professional basketball in Russia when he was just 15 years old. He played for a team called CSKA Moscow and even won an award for being the best player in the Russian league in 2000. In 1999, a team from the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States, the Utah Jazz, chose him in their player draft. He was the first Russian player ever picked in the first round of an NBA draft.
Kirilenko joined the Jazz in 2001 and played there for many years. He became known as a great defender and was even chosen to play in the NBA All-Star Game in 2004. He also led the entire NBA in blocked shots during the 2004–2005 season. After his time in the NBA, he returned to play for CSKA Moscow again and was named the best player in the EuroLeague in 2012. He also played for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets before ending his basketball career.
Andrei Kirilenko also played for the Russian national team in many big tournaments. He helped Russia win the EuroBasket championship in 2007 and was named the best player of that tournament. He also won a bronze medal with Russia at the 2012 Summer Olympics. After he stopped playing, he became the president of the Russian Basketball Federation in 2015.
Contents
Early Life and Start in Basketball
Andrei Kirilenko was born in a city called Izhevsk in Russia. He started playing organized basketball when he was ten years old.
Professional Basketball Journey
Playing for Spartak St. Petersburg
In 1997, Kirilenko made history by becoming the youngest player ever to play in the top Russian basketball league. He played for a team called Spartak Saint Petersburg for two seasons.
Joining CSKA Moscow
Kirilenko moved to CSKA Moscow in 1998. In his first year with the team, he helped them win the Russian Super League championship. He also took part in the Russian All-Star game and won the slam dunk contest!
On June 30, 1999, when he was 18 years old, the Utah Jazz picked him in the NBA draft. He was the youngest European player ever chosen in the NBA draft at that time, and the first Russian player picked in the first round. Even though he was drafted by an NBA team, he stayed with CSKA Moscow for two more seasons. He helped them win another Russian Super League championship.
Time with the Utah Jazz
Kirilenko officially joined the Utah Jazz in September 2001. He quickly showed how talented he was. In 2002, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, which means he was one of the best new players in the league. He became known as one of the best defenders in the NBA.
He was chosen to play in the 2004 NBA All-Star Game. During the 2003–2004 season, he was among the top players in the league for both blocked shots and steals. He was only the second player in NBA history to be in the top five for both!
After some famous players left the Jazz in 2003, Kirilenko became a key player for the team. He led the Jazz in many important stats like total points, rebounds, blocks, and steals. He was also named to the All-NBA Defensive Team twice.
In the 2004–2005 season, even though he got injured and missed some games, he still blocked enough shots to be the league leader in blocks per game. In the 2005–2006 season, he continued to be one of the best shot blockers and defenders. He even blocked 10 shots in one game!
Kirilenko was one of only two NBA players (the other being Hakeem Olajuwon) to have a game with at least 6 steals, 6 blocks, 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists since the 1985–86 season. This shows how amazing he was at playing all parts of the game.
After the 2007 EuroBasket tournament, where he led Russia to a championship, he wanted to leave the Jazz. However, he stayed and continued to play well for the team.
Back to CSKA Moscow
In 2011, during a time when NBA games were paused (called a lockout), Kirilenko went back to Russia to play for his old team, CSKA Moscow. He stayed with them for the whole season and helped them reach the EuroLeague Final. He was named the EuroLeague MVP (Most Valuable Player) and also won the EuroLeague Best Defender award that year.
Playing for Minnesota and Brooklyn
In 2012, Kirilenko returned to the NBA and signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was a starting player for them. In 2013, he moved to the Brooklyn Nets. He played for the Nets until 2014.
Final Return to CSKA and Retirement
In December 2014, Kirilenko was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, but he did not play any games for them. In February 2015, he signed with CSKA Moscow again for his third time with the club. He helped CSKA Moscow win the VTB United League championship that season.
On June 23, 2015, Andrei Kirilenko announced that he was retiring from playing professional basketball.
Playing for His Country
Andrei Kirilenko was a very important player for the Russian national team. He was named the MVP of the 1999 FIBA Under-19 World Cup when he was a junior player.
He played in the 2000 Summer Olympics for Russia. He also played in several EuroBasket tournaments. In EuroBasket 2007, he led Russia to win the gold medal and was named the MVP of the tournament. This win helped Russia qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics, where Kirilenko was chosen to carry Russia's flag in the opening ceremony.
Kirilenko won a bronze medal with Russia at the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Life After Playing
In August 2015, Andrei Kirilenko was elected as the president of the Russian Basketball Federation. He was re-elected for this role in August 2020.
Career Statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance Index Rating |
| Bold | Career high |
NBA
| * | Led the league |
Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | Utah | 82 | 40 | 26.2 | .450 | .250 | .768 | 4.9 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 10.7 |
| 2002–03 | Utah | 80 | 11 | 27.7 | .491 | .325 | .800 | 5.3 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 12.0 |
| 2003–04 | Utah | 78 | 78 | 37.1 | .443 | .338 | .790 | 8.1 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 16.5 |
| 2004–05 | Utah | 41 | 37 | 32.9 | .493 | .299 | .784 | 6.2 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 3.3* | 15.6 |
| 2005–06 | Utah | 69 | 63 | 37.7 | .460 | .308 | .699 | 8.0 | 4.3 | 1.5 | 3.2 | 15.3 |
| 2006–07 | Utah | 70 | 70 | 29.3 | .471 | .213 | .728 | 4.7 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 8.3 |
| 2007–08 | Utah | 72 | 72 | 30.8 | .506 | .379 | .770 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 11.0 |
| 2008–09 | Utah | 67 | 10 | 27.3 | .449 | .274 | .785 | 4.8 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 11.6 |
| 2009–10 | Utah | 58 | 35 | 29.0 | .506 | .292 | .744 | 4.6 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 11.9 |
| 2010–11 | Utah | 64 | 62 | 31.2 | .467 | .367 | .770 | 5.1 | 3.0 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 11.7 |
| 2012–13 | Minnesota | 64 | 64 | 31.8 | .507 | .292 | .752 | 5.7 | 2.8 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 12.4 |
| 2013–14 | Brooklyn | 45 | 4 | 19.0 | .513 | .200 | .513 | 3.2 | 1.6 | .9 | .4 | 5.0 |
| 2014–15 | Brooklyn | 7 | 0 | 5.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | .750 | 1.1 | .1 | .1 | .0 | .4 |
| Career | 797 | 546 | 30.2 | .474 | .310 | .754 | 5.5 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 1.8 | 11.8 | |
| All-Star | 1 | 0 | 12.0 | .333 | .000 | .000 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 1.0 | 2.0 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Utah | 4 | 4 | 30.5 | .393 | .000 | .813 | 3.8 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 8.8 |
| 2003 | Utah | 5 | 0 | 29.0 | .419 | .143 | .875 | 4.8 | 1.4 | .6 | 2.0 | 11.6 |
| 2007 | Utah | 17 | 17 | 31.0 | .447 | .333 | .785 | 5.2 | 2.6 | .9 | 2.4 | 9.6 |
| 2008 | Utah | 12 | 12 | 32.3 | .447 | .227 | .714 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 11.0 |
| 2009 | Utah | 5 | 3 | 27.2 | .468 | .200 | .714 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 2.2 | .6 | 11.0 |
| 2010 | Utah | 2 | 0 | 15.0 | .500 | .000 | 1.000 | 3.0 | .0 | .5 | .5 | 5.5 |
| 2014 | Brooklyn | 10 | 0 | 14.4 | .467 | .000 | .647 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | .3 | 2.5 |
| Career | 55 | 36 | 27.1 | .445 | .208 | .767 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 8.7 | |
EuroLeague
| * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FIBA EuroLeague | ||||||||||||||
| 1998–99 | CSKA Moscow | 7 | 0 | 9.0 | .625 | .000 | .773 | 1.4 | .1 | 1.1 | .0 | 5.3 | 9.0 | |
| 1999–00 | 19 | 19 | 26.9 | .579 | .200 | .646 | 6.2 | 1.8 | 2.5 | .5 | 11.5 | 21.1 | ||
| FIBA SuproLeague | ||||||||||||||
| 2000–01 | CSKA Moscow | 22 | 22 | 33.7 | .575 | .281 | .647 | 9.2 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 2.1* | 13.9 | 27.0 | |
| EuroLeague | ||||||||||||||
| 2011–12 | CSKA Moscow | 17 | 17 | 29.9 | .533 | .417 | .758 | 7.5* | 2.4 | 1.5 | 1.9* | 14.1 | 24.2* | |
| 2014–15 | 11 | 9 | 19.3 | .518 | .462 | .682 | 5.3 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 8.5 | 13.9 | ||
| Career | 76 | 67 | 26.8 | .561 | .342 | .687 | 6.8 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 11.8 | 21.3 | ||
Player Profile
Andrei Kirilenko was a very flexible basketball player. He could play in different positions and was great at both offense and defense. He was known for scoring points, getting rebounds, and passing the ball well. He was also very good at drawing fouls from other players.
On defense, he was amazing at blocking shots and stealing the ball. He was chosen for the NBA All-Defensive First or Second Team three times. This shows how good he was at stopping the other team from scoring.
On January 3, 2006, Kirilenko had an incredible game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He scored 14 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, made 9 assists, got 6 steals, and blocked 7 shots! This was the third time in his career he achieved a "five-by-five," which means getting at least 5 in five different stats (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks). Only two other players in NBA history have done this more than once.
Kirilenko's nickname, "AK-47," came from his initials (AK) and his jersey number (47). It's a cool coincidence that he was born in Izhevsk, Russia, the city where the famous AK-47 rifle was first made.
Personal Life
Andrei Kirilenko is married to Masha Lopatova, who is a Russian pop singer. They have three sons named Fedor, Stepan, and Andrey, and a daughter named Alexandra. They live in Los Angeles.
Andrei Kirilenko also enjoyed playing the video game World of Warcraft when he was in the NBA. Another NBA player, Channing Frye, once shared a story about how he saw Kirilenko online playing the game late at night before a game.
See also
In Spanish: Andréi Kirilenko para niños
- List of NBA career blocks leaders
- List of NBA annual blocks leaders
- List of NBA single-game blocks leaders
- 2008 Summer Olympics national flag bearers
- List of European basketball players in the United States
