Kirilenko ready to leave rich NBA deal....

Published: September 21, 2007, 6:45 pm

Updated: September 21, 2007, 6:50 pm

YOu can title this story as: Player Refuses 63 million dollar win....

taken from yahoo.com: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=afp-basketnbajazzruskirilenko&prov=afp&type=lgns

SALT LAKE CITY, United States (AFP) - Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko is reportedly set to walk away from 63 million dollars remaining on his National Basketball Association contract.

After translating an interview given to Russia's Sport Express newspaper, the Salt Lake Tribune reported Kirilenko said he is ready to leave the NBA and would most like to play in Moscow, leaving behind his big-money deal for his homeland.

"I am prepared to go without it," the Tribune quotes Kirilenko as saying. "This is a lot of money, even for an NBA club. So what? Maybe this money could go to pay for more players or for something else.

"I have never been unfair and I don't want to enjoy something that I don't deserve. Big money is obviously good but I'm prepared to make less. The size of my salary doesn't mean that much to me. The main thing is to play with a spark.

"I am ready for anything. I just need to leave Utah Jazz."

The Jazz, who are expecting Kirilenko to report for the start of training camp in 10 days, went 51-31 last season to win the NBA's Northwest division title.

Kirilenko, who led Russia to the European title earlier this month, said the only thing he couldn't handle was staying with the Jazz.

"The only thing I'm not prepared for is if I'm told, 'Andrei we want you to stay anyway,'" Kirilenko told the Russian newspaper. "How could you possibly rely on a player who wants to leave?"

"I would like to be where I am needed and right now I feel that my country needs me," Kirilenko said. "But I cannot exclude some European clubs.

"Trust me, I really am prepared to leave NBA. It certainly does not mean that I'm dying to go to Europe. I'm just ready."

COMMENTS: I don't follow basketball nor soccer, but here it seems someone else NOT WANTING 63 Million dollars (and 63 million dollars is 63 million dollars)...This is more than 4 million dollars, like was the case of the German guy...All i can say is, And i am here wanting 500K...And what can i say, to each he's own...

Entry #49

Comments

justxploring - Sep 21, 2007, 7:26 pm

Apparently he already has everything he needs. He's probably already very wealthy by most standards. Maybe he doesn't agree with the team's politics or wants to represent his country out of a sense of loyalty which means more than money to him.

Kirilenko ready to leave rich NBA deal....

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