In professional sports, walking away from a big paycheck is rare — so when it happens, it highlights a player’s dedication. A strong example came in 2007 when Andrei Kirilenko made headlines for what he was ready to give up.
Frustrated with his NBA role, the 6’9″ forward reportedly considered walking away from the final $63 million on his Utah Jazz contract to rediscover his love for the game elsewhere. He confirmed this in a later translated interview with the Russian outlet Sport Express.
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“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 am prepared to make less. The size of my salary doesn’t mean that much for me. The main thing is to play with a spark,” said Kirilenko, per ESPN.
“AK-47” felt unhappy and restricted
By late 2004, Kirilenko’s future with the Jazz seemed secure. The versatile player, a key figure since 2001, had just signed a six-year, $86 million extension.
However, fast-forward to 2007, the partnership was falling apart. Despite “AK-47” hitting his prime, shown by his outstanding MVP performance leading Russia to the EuroBasket title, he was increasingly sidelined in Utah’s offense. The focus had shifted to teammates Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams and Mehmet Okur.
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Kirilenko also grew frustrated with head coach Jerry Sloan. In a blog post later translated by “The Salt Lake Tribune,” the 2004 All-Star was blunt.
“[Sloan’s] main method to motivate players is to create a feeling of guilt. Our wages, our errors in games and whatever we do beyond playing for the Jazz is also an excuse to criticize us. I want to play basketball. I want to be happy playing basketball, but I don’t want to be a robot in Sloan’s system,” wrote Andrei.
Around the same time, the then 25-year-old shared similar feelings in an interview with Russian media. He said that for two years he had played like a robot. He had expected to enjoy winning and playing when signing his contract, but now even success didn’t bring him pleasure, calling it the “worst feeling.”
From near exit to a bounce back
From Kirilenko’s perspective, the situation couldn’t continue as it was. However, the Jazz disagreed. Knowing his value and being bound by a contract through the 2010–11 season — which the FIBA teams had to honor — they refused to him leave easily.
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Kirilenko said coach Sloan even suggested the only option was for him to “break the contract” if he wanted out. “AK-47” intended to do just that and possibly return to play in Europe, either in Russia or elsewhere.
“I would like to be where I am needed,” he explained, “and right now I feel that my country needs me. 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.”
Though this suggested a split was near, interestingly, it didn’t happen.
Kirilenko returned to the Jazz roster for the 2007-08 season with renewed focus and determination. That year, he improved most of his key stats — averaging 11.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks per contest — demonstrating his ability to bounce back despite the outside noise.