Deseret News | Moving forward? Jazz's Kirilenko, Sloan try to clear air

Moving forward? Jazz's Kirilenko, Sloan try to clear air

But AK stands by comments

By Linda Hamilton
Deseret Morning News

Published: Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2007 12:05 a.m. MDT

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After meeting with Jerry Sloan and Kevin O'Connor and then donning his Utah Jazz uniform for Monday's media day at the practice facility, Andrei Kirilenko did not seem to have softened his thoughts about being unhappy with his situation.

He said he stands by and doesn't regret the things he said a few weeks ago on a Russian Web site about how he doesn't think he can play effectively in Sloan's Jazz system and would be willing to walk away from the $63 million left on his contract and play in Russia if he can't be traded — things he actually cannot do, according to the rules.

Other than sticking to his guns, Kirilenko's best friend on Monday was a smiling, "Come on guys, no comment."

Now that camp has started, Kirilenko wants to talk only about working hard, concentrating on Jazz basketball and becoming the best player he can be — which is what the Monday meeting was about. Perhaps there was some movement even if Kirilenko didn't want to say so.

"We talked about it and tried to clear the air and move forward," said O'Connor, Utah's senior vice president of basketball operations. "Here's where we're trying to get to — to Andrei playing well for us this season. We're going to try to work together to try to do that."

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"I thought it was very good," said Sloan about the meeting with Kirilenko. "He had some things to say, and I don't have a problem with that. We have to get this thing cleared up so he can play well. And if that (public complaint) helps him, I don't have a problem with that."

Kirilenko spoke of the immediate future. "I don't want to talk about what's happened right now because we're coming to the preseason camp, and I don't want guys to feel bad about it. That's only my situation, so it shouldn't affect anybody else."

But it does affect the whole team, whether the MVP of last month's EuroBasket tournament and a former NBA All-Star can or will try to fit himself back into the Jazz and whether Sloan can help him without doing injustice to the rest of the team.

Kirilenko would not say if he felt any better following his face-to-face meeting with Sloan and O'Connor, and he charged that the media had made his comments into a conflict with Sloan.

"I mean, again, we never have conflict with Jerry," he said. "You created. Sometimes we have misunderstanding, but it's not a conflict."

He added that, in a perfect world, he would be playing basketball in that same Jazz uniform he was wearing Monday, though he wouldn't say if he thought he'd have one on come Oct. 30 — opening night at Golden State.

While Kirilenko was a bit evasive, his coach seemed unfazed by things Kirilenko had said about him and concerned about helping him past this rough spot and keeping him on the Jazz roster.