| Salt Lake City |
 |
 |
| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
 |
| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
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| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
|
| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
|
| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
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| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
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| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
|
| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
|
| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
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NBA stars meet the press . . . and carry the torch
Jazz rookie is enjoying his first trip to the All-Star Game
By Rich Evans
Deseret News sports writer
PHILADELPHIA — For Andrei Kirilenko, All-Star weekend already has been an eye-opener.
"Do you prefer American women or Russian women?" the Jazz rookie was asked during Friday's media-availability session at the downtown Philly Marriott.
Before departing for the All-Star Game, Jazzman Karl Malone took care of a little Olympic business.
Jerry Carter, KSL-TV |
Kirilenko, the only Jazz representative present Friday since Karl Malone was in Salt Lake carrying the Olympic torch, looked momentarily taken aback. But with his wife in Salt Lake and two weeks away from delivering their first child — a boy who will be named Feodor — and his father-in-law sitting at the same table in Philly, Kirilenko knew how to answer this one, even if he didn't understand why it was asked.
"I like Russian women," he said. "I don't know why. Because I was born in Russia? They have a little bit different mentality."
Asked if he'd really been here long enough to get to know American women, Kirilenko smiled and said, "I'm married. Don't ask me that question."
Actually, Kirilenko might have welcomed such an off-the-wall question by that point, because it was a change of pace from the three questions he was asked — and answered — repeatedly:
1. What's it like making the adjustment from European hoops to the NBA? (Hard.)
2. How does European ball compare to NBA? (It's getting better.)
3. Are foreign players here to stay? (Yes.)
"Sometimes it's hard, repeat, repeat, repeat what you say before," he said, near the end of his hour-long stint. "It's crazy for me."
But despite the repetitious nature of dealing with wave after wave of media, Kirilenko enjoyed the attention.
"Here is very big attention from the media, and I think that's right," he said. "In Russia, it's not so big. In Russia, after the game, it's two or three journalists."
And, he might have mentioned, they actually think of sportswriters as journalists.
All-Star weekend is something of a reunion for Kirilenko, since he'd played against all the Europeans before, some — Memphis' Pau Gasol and San Antonio's Tony Parker, for example — since they were juniors.
"It's very friendly atmosphere here," he said. "Now we're very close to each other. I like this because it's friendly."
While answering all those repetitious questions, Kirilenko showed how much he's bought into Jazz coach Jerry Sloan's approach to NBA play, right down to use of the words "a little bit." Asked how he'd approach today's game, he said, "If you're playing just show, fans don't like it. You have to compete a little bit. We must catch the line between show and fight."
Kirilenko said that goes for his European friends, too.
"In the game, no opening," he said. "We're enemies. But when we step off the court, we're friends."
Kirilenko admitted that adjusting to an 82-game NBA campaign, after playing 20-plus games in a Russian season, has been tough.
"After 25 games I was 'Oh no, whew I'm tired,"' he said, miming wiping his brow.
Now, though, he says he's gotten past the rookie wall and feels great. He's in better shape and learning to pace himself, especially off the court. He acknowledged getting an assist in that department from two guys who know about preserving oneself — Malone and John Stockton.
"I have many advice from Stockton and Malone," he said. "I'm just listening."
Kirilenko said living in Salt Lake has helped his adjustment.
"It's pretty much easy, and I like that," he said. "They're not bad people. Many good people. They're smiling a lot."
When asked what he would tell a young European player interested in playing in the NBA, Kirilenko said, "Two important things to play in NBA, only two: One is you must take time to make coach believe in you. And second, don't be scared."
He might have added "Learn to play defense," considering how much he talked about it.
"We concentrate on defense. Defense is like 70 percent of game. Coach Sloan's practices are unbelievable," he said, rolling his eyes. "Crazy defensive drills."
The first time he did those drills, he said, his hamstrings were sore for a week. But he has heard criticisms, such as "Kirilenko, he's below-average defender," and it bothers him.
"That's no good for me," he said. "I didn't like it. Now I'm much, much more aggressive. I'm playing with my legs, my feet."
You have to think Sloan would smile at that. A little bit.
E-mail: rich@desnews.com
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February 9, 2002
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