Thursday, September 20, 2007

Would you leave 63 million on the table?

Andrei Kirilenko would. He's so unhappy playing for Jerry Sloan that he's willing to forego the rest of his max contract which equates to 63 million dollars. Is this guy for real? Most guys want to void or renegotiate their contract to make more money. Kirilenko's already got a max deal and the way he's played the last two years he's never going to get that sweet a deal again.

He played for the Russian team this summer and was the main man so maybe he missed being the go to guy. Maybe he just really misses home. Maybe he was misquoted and the interview was taken out of context. Maybe a Russian oil tycoon has promised him even more cash to play in Russia.

Whatever the reason I'm sure more of the story will come out in the coming weeks. I've always been a big Kirilenko fan. He won me over many years ago when he went ballistic in a Rookie vs Sophomore game during All star weekend. The other players were playing lackadaisically and AK was subbed in and was a beast of defense. He guarded guys tight, swatted shots, and went to the basket hard. It was refreshing to see since those games are more and1 than nba. He's also been a favorite because he resembled Ivan Drago from Rocky IV so my old roommates and I would shout out the "I must break you" voice every time he blocked a shot.

Good luck Kirilenko! I hope you get whatever makes you happy. I'd definitely like to see you in a Warriors uniform.

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