AK debunks 'lie' that wife wants out of Utah

PORTLAND, Ore. — Andrei Kirilenko reacted with shock and disbelief to an All-Star Weekend report on the Internet suggesting his wife, Masha, wants out of Utah.

"I want to tell you, that's bull——," Kirilenko said Tuesday night in Portland.

According to author and FOXSports.com NBA analyst Charley Rosen, writing on the Web site: "Jazz-watchers are mystified by Kirilenko's subpar play so far this season. Not only are all of his numbers down, but he's complained loudly and in public about his not being involved in the offense. Here's what's really going on: AK's wife is miserably unhappy living in Salt Lake City, and she's been nagging him to find a way out of there. The only option they've come up with is to try to force a trade by being a malcontent. (Jazz owner) Larry Miller has been known to be impulsive, but so far (coach) Jerry Sloan has kept his boss from popping his cork. So far."

"This is not true," Kirilenko said before the Jazz's game against the Trail Blazers. "It is, like, unbelievable lie. Because, first of all, we built house. Secondary, Masha is opening her clothing store. It's not true at all."

A clothing-line company run by Kirilenko's wife, who is about eight months pregnant with the couple's second child, is under construction now at the Gateway shopping center in downtown Salt Lake City.

"Masha likes Salt Lake," Kirilenko said. "She probably doesn't weather in the winter, but the people ... we don't have any problem with."

Kirilenko suggested he had no idea what inspired Rosen's report: "It surprises me. It couldn't be from the first hand, though. Somebody probably guessing."

HOT ROD HAPPY: A decision by the NBA Players Association to increase pension payments for its pre-1965 players means longtime Jazz play-by-play voice Hot Rod Hundley will get a bump from $1,200 a month to $1,800 a month — plus a lump-sum catchup payment retroactive to July 1, 2005.

"I deserve it," a happy Hundley said. "I made $10,000 a year when I played. I had to wait until I'm 72 years (for the raise), but I'm happy about it. God bless the NBA."

Hundley's annual salaries when he played for the Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers from 1957-63 were $10,000 for the first four seasons, $11,000 for the fifth and $11,500 for the sixth — a grand total of $62,500.

Some of Hundley's golfing buddies delivered the good news.