From Masha with love

I seldom hear from NBA players' wives, which in my mind is a good thing. Dealing with angry players is one thing; dealing with a wounded spouse is another.

Last time I remember hearing from an NBA wife, she called me something that isn't in the Good Book. In fact, it's not in most books.

I would rather hear from an upset player than an upset wife any day. That's because the wife is more likely to do something about it.

Thus, I was surprised Monday night to get an e-mail — one that other journalists received, too — from Masha Kirilenko, offering to conduct an interview on her husband's behalf. So I called her. What I found was something far different than I expected.

I found a wife genuinely, even tenderly, worried about her husband.

She said when she saw the images of her husband, red-eyed and emotional at Sunday's practice, she had to do something. So she started sending out e-mails.

She suggested an interpreter could be the answer to Andrei Kirilenko's problems with Jerry Sloan. Sounding slightly embarrassed, she added that she believes things get lost in translation. Hence, the Jazz's highest-paid player ends up playing like he's afraid to make a move.

Meanwhile, his coach says he isn't equipped to handle emotional issues.

I admit to having sympathy for both sides. Clearly, Kirilenko is struggling to satisfy his coach. His attempts apparently included an ill-advised 3-point shot in Monday's loss to Houston that was woefully off the mark. Yet it's not too much for Sloan to ask for a player who has a huge contract — and who has been playing for him for six years — to work through his problems.

Sloan isn't demanding scoring from Kirilenko, he's asking for a sampler of steals, rebounds, defense and blocks. In 17 1/2 minutes on Monday, Kirilenko didn't produce much of any of those.

So I called Masha, expecting her to be angry and resentful.

What surprised me was that I didn't hear a disdainful, defensive wife — of which there are quite a few in the NBA. I found a wife who was worried about her husband. Not his image; she was worried about him.

"Certainly there's a misunderstanding between Andrei and Coach. I think there's a language barrier," she said, "so it looks like a misunderstanding with both guys."

She went on to say it hurt to see him trying not to cry on TV and in the newspapers, calling it "a tough time for both me and Andrei."

"It's been six years here in Salt Lake, and lately it's been frustrating. We've talked to Coach, we've talked to the owner, we've talked to the G.M., I don't know," she said.