By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Carrying plenty of experience from both ends of the comparison between the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the NBA, Andrei Kirilenko voted in favor of Europe’s premier club continental competition.
“You should watch, it is great basketball,” he told Russian outlet Okko Sport on the EuroLeague, “Especially if you love proper basketball. In the NBA, basketball is still wrong, in my opinion. It is more about individuals. Basketball in Europe is traditional with more team plays and tactics, players knowing what to do on the court in each situation.”
Kirilenko, 42, has been the president of the Russian Basketball Federation, RBF, since 2015, after wrapping up his playing career.
“Certainly, you must follow the EuroLeague, if you love basketball, watch players like Milos Teodosic,” he added, “It seems to me that you can even learn basketball from watching EuroLeague games.”
Spending 13 seasons in the NBA, Kirilenko went from ten years with the Utah Jazz to shorter stints with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets. His run stretched to 852 appearances, including 55 over seven installments of the Playoffs. He also played in the 2004 All-Star Game.
Multiple spells with CSKA covered the majority of his remaining career. He was named season MVP of the EuroLeague in 2012. Capturing two VTB United League championships added to his success with the Moscow outfit.
Representing Russia at the international level included a tournament MVP performance and winning gold in the 2007 EuroBasket alongside a bronze medal in the 2012 Olympic Games.