Andrei Kirilenko cites Cristiano Ronaldo as an example to praise LeBron James: "You have to listen to him"
The historic Russian player has mentioned Leo Messi and Rafa Nadal, has advised Pau Gasol, and has praised the two veteran superstars of football and basketball.
Andrei Kirilenko, president of the Russian Basketball Federation (FRB), believes that LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo have reached a status that allows them to act with complete freedom. The former Russian player, who faced the American during his time in the NBA, stated in an interview with EFE that both are "supermen" who have earned the right to make their own decisions. He also mentioned Leo Messi and Rafa Nadal.
LeBron and Cristiano, two extraordinary careers
Kirilenko, who played for the Utah Jazz and the Brooklyn Nets, compared LeBron to a character from a superhero series. The forward, who is entering his 24th season in the NBA and will turn 42 in December, remains in a shape that surprises the former Russian international.
“There are normal players and supermen. He is in phenomenal shape,” he said. Kirilenko believes it would be difficult for a coach to ask LeBron to change his way of acting, given his experience and his weight within the team. “We are talking about a player with enormous experience. He is like a player-coach. He is the franchise player,” he explained.
To reinforce his argument, he also referred to Cristiano Ronaldo, who is 41 and approaching 1,000 goals. The Russian pointed to Portugal's situation to argue that the team must listen to the forward when he is with them. “If you have Cristiano, you must listen to what he says. It doesn't matter what it is. He has earned it,” he stated.
Kirilenko insisted that clubs must accept this reality when deciding to bring in a star of such stature. “If you don’t want that, don’t sign him for your team. But if you sign him, you have to listen to him,” he said. He also noted that the Portuguese has the backing of a billion fans.
A more open NBA with a greater emphasis on the three-pointer
Looking ahead to the upcoming NBA season, a competition he played in for over a decade, Kirilenko highlighted the excitement generated by the absence of a team capable of winning the title in two consecutive seasons for a long time. In his view, this circumstance adds "intrigue" to the championship.
“Every city can think that the next one will be me,” he commented. He also emphasized that almost all franchises currently have a star, a factor that makes the competition “more interesting.”
The president of the Russian federation believes, however, that basketball is constantly evolving and that the current tendency to shoot from the three-point line could change with the emergence of a dominant player like Shaquille O'Neal.
Kirilenko attributed a significant part of the prominence that outside shooting has gained to Stephen Curry. “Stephen Curry is to blame. He came to the NBA and, like in a computer game, showed that you can shoot 10-20 three-pointers,” he explained.
Kirilenko believes Pau Gasol doesn't need advice
The former Russian player also spoke about several former European rivals who now hold managerial or technical positions, such as the Spanish Pau Gasol, the French Tony Parker, and the Turkish Hedo Turkoglu.
Gasol, currently the head of the Athlete Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), does not need anyone to tell him how to develop his career, according to Kirilenko. “He has gone through all stages of European and world basketball, just like me,” he noted.
Kirilenko, who has headed the Russian Basketball Federation since 2015, remembered that the Spaniard, a two-time NBA champion, is a respected person in the basketball world. Having lived through various stages of the sport, from youth and collegiate categories to international competitions and the NBA, allows for a better understanding of its problems. Therefore, he believes Gasol has earned both the trajectory he has built and his current responsibility at the IOC.
However, he also wanted to make it clear that experience does not always mean being right. “That doesn’t mean we know everything. Absolutely not. He must find his own way. He must make mistakes. I also make mistakes and fall. One should not be afraid to acknowledge a mistake,” he stated.
Kirilenko concluded with a piece of advice for Gasol: “Don’t think you’re the smartest. If you made a mistake, acknowledge it. Change and move on.”
Additionally, he expressed the affection he feels for the former Spanish player and his family. “I hold him in great esteem, just like his mother. I have a wonderful relationship with him and his brother, Marc, and I wish him the best. If at any time he needs any advice or help, he can write to me whenever he wants,” he concluded.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Andrei Kirilenko pone de ejemplo a Cristiano Ronaldo para elogiar a LeBron James: "Tienes que hacerle caso"
