Asked by Soviet Sport, "How can you tell a Mormon from a normal person?" Kirilenko responded, "There is no way. They don't have any special distinctive marks or fragments of clothing that emphasizes their relationship to a religious group."

Even as far away as Russia, Utah's reputation for not having much entertainment is known, but Kirilenko said he has little time to worry about such things with practice and traveling. It is more difficult for his wife, Masha, but she has the two children to care for and had started her own clothing store at Gateway. "The store is like a distraction for her," he said.

When friends or relatives from Russia visit, Kirilenko told Izvestia the first thing he shows them is: "Basketball, of course! In the USA this is truly a holy thing and not simply another scheduled calendar game.

"Then, I for sure take them to a ski resort on the outskirts of Salt Lake City. On the whole in Utah there is a widespread passion for skiing and snowboarding, and without question the 2002 Olympic Games increased the interest to these types of sports," Kirilenko said.

"Admittedly, I myself don't ski so I don't unexpectedly get a personal injury. There is even a special point in my contract about this. But either way, I often go up the mountains with relatives and friends in order to breathe the clean frosty air."

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Translation from Russian by Anna Tenney and J.C. Tenney