Wiry strength, above average passing skills and bountiful energy that’s especially dangerous in transition — you may think of Pascal Siakam here, but the man I’m referring to is nearly 40 years old and hails from Russia, not Cameroon.
His name is Andrei Kirilenko and he, along with Steve Nash, was a player whose style was perhaps a decade too soon. However, just like Nash, Kirilenko found ways to dominate the NBA’s traditional stars for a five year stretch, despite the way basketball was being played at the time.
Kirilenko was drafted 24th overall by the Utah Jazz in 2001, and went on to become one of the league’s premier athletes in just two seasons.