Andrei Kirilenko

Sport: Basketball

Nation: Russian Federation

DOB: February 18, 1981

Career Highlights: This past NBA season was the first one in a decade without Kirilenko, who went to play in his homeland as the lockout was happening and decided to finish out the season in Russia. He's opted to keep playing overseas next season instead of returning to the NBA. That decision came shortly after he helped Russia go unbeaten at the Olympic qualifier in early July, leading the team in scoring and rebounding. Kirilenko started his professional career at 15 years old, making him the youngest player ever in the Russian league. In 1999, he was drafted 24th overall by the Utah Jazz, his only team during a 10-year career in the NBA. He would not play until the 2001-02 season, getting selected to the All-Rookie first team. Kirilenko averaged 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds during his NBA career but is better known for his play on the defensive end. He was among the league's top 10 in blocked shots five times and led the NBA with 3.3 per game in 2004-05, a season after he ranked a career-high fourth in steals (1.9). Kirilenko, named to the NBA’s All-Defensive first team once and second team twice, made his only All-Star game appearance in 2004. He was selected to play in the 2000 Olympics as a 19-year-old and averaged 9.4 points with 5.0 rebounds, starting three of seven games for a Russian squad which lost to the U.S. in the quarterfinals. After Russia failed to make the Summer Games in 2004, Kirilenko was his country's flag-bearer in the 2008 Olympics. He would average 15.8 points and 6.4 rebounds, but his team failed to make the quarters. Nicknamed AK-47, Kirilenko has his own charitable foundation and was named the NBA’s No. 1 Good Guy by The Sporting News in 2006 for his community efforts.

Olympic History: 2008,2000