RUS – Kirilenko busy with charity work in Russia

MOSCOW (2010 FIBA World Championship) - It’s not surprising that Andrei Kirilenko has been on a basketball court this week.

That’s where you might expect to find a EuroBasket 2007 MVP and an NBA player whose season with the Utah Jazz finished in a first-round play-off defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers last month.

But Kirilenko wasn’t sneaking in behind opponents to block shots or flying through the air for rim-rocking dunks in the Chekhov sports hall in the Moscow Region.

Instead, AK47 was doing charity work for Kirilenko’s Kids foundation, teaching children the basics of man-to-man defense and exchanging high-fives.

“We started our mission in 2005 and I think since that time we've achieved some success,” Kirilenko said.

“My wife Maria and I have organized training camps in a number of Russian cities and we're currently doing our best to get involved in as many charity events as possible.”

Kirilenko is one of his country’s most famous sports personalities because of his career with the Jazz and his performance for Russia in Spain two years ago.

Last summer, because of Russia’s unexpected run to the gold medal in Madrid, he was able to compete at an Olympic Games for the second time.

He also took part in the Sydney Games nine years ago.

Putting on the Russia shirt this summer appears unlikely, though, and that could damage the Russians’ chances of qualifying for the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

An unspecified "family issue" for Kirilenko could prevent the superstar forward from competing at this summer's EuroBasket in Poland.

Kirilenko, the EuroBasket 2007 MVP, is back in his homeland after playing with the NBA’s Jazz and he has cast doubt on his appearance when the Russians go for gold again in September.

Russia Basketball Federation president Sergey Chernov and national team coach David Blatt clearly want Kirilenko in Poland but the player said to Soviet Sport: "Chernov personally came over to the U.S. to discuss this with me."

"I won't be hiding it, really for family reasons, that I can't help my team in Poland. I can't tell you why, though."

Kirilenko, 28, then left the door slightly ajar.

"Still, there's a slim chance I'll be able to make it," he said.

FIBA