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When Andrei Kirilenko first entered the NBA, in 2001, nobody knew what to make of him. He had been drafted two years earlier by the Utah Jazz in the first round, as the first Russian selected in the first round and the youngest European ever selected. His Russian pro career, which began at the age of 15, kept him away from the media frenzy of the American basketball media. So here comes this skinny kid, spiky hair and all, with a game that was anything but prototypical. Kirilenko's fondness for the paint in the Russian League didn't seem like it'd sustain itself in the NBA, where 225-pound frames typically get tossed around like rag dolls. Kirilenko finished that season as the Utah Jazz's leader in scoring (16.2), rebounding (8.1), steals (1.92), blocked shots (2.76) and in minutes played per game (37.1). He earned his first of two NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors, and led the league with 3.32 blocked shots per game in 2004-05. That year he also registered two 5-by-5’s on the season, recording five in each of the positive statistical categories, and became a fantasy owner's dream. This season Kirilenko is averaging 15.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.81 blocks and 1.62 steals per game, proving he can truly do it all. Like break conventions, brave cold winters and be the icon that Russia can be proud of.
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But Kirilenko was tough and relentless. He had to be growing up in Moscow, where the cold winters are the same. Blocking shots, diving for lose balls, picking up steals, "AK-47" was as determined as he was all-over-the-floor. And so Kirilenko wasn't just different – he reflected the place he came from. And that place has never produced anyone as good as he.
In just his third season in the league, Kirilenko became the first Russian ever to appear in the NBA All-Star game. The 22-year-old underscored the difference in his approach to the game compared to the league's other top players by saying before the annual 48-minute highlight reel, "everybody says I don’t need to play defense in the All-Star Game, but that’s my game."
