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AK47 Fully Loaded

AK47, also known as Andrei Kirilenko (#47 for the Utah Jazz), is clearly unhappy playing for the Utah Jazz under coach Jerry Sloan. He is so adamant about not playing for Sloan that he will give up the remaining unpaid portion of his $63 million contract with the Jazz if they let agree to let him free [Report: Kirilenko ‘ready’ to leave NBA, $63M contract].

It is not my place to say whether Kirilenko should have such feelings towards the Utah Jazz and Jerry Sloan. However, I am not quite sure that Kirilenko should be voicing his extreme opinions to the media..

“I just want to explain to everybody what I think and feel and that I could sacrifice my career with the NBA. The only thing I’m not prepared for is if I’m told, ‘Andrei, we want you to stay anyway.’ I’m sure then the next season would be a repetition of the previous one, and what will the fans say then? How could you possibly rely on a player who wants to leave?”

“For the past two years I’ve been going on the court and acting like a robot. When I signed my contract the future looked completely different — I thought I would play, win and get pleasure from it. Unfortunately, this is out of the question now — even in successful games. This is the worst feeling.”

If Kirilenko feels this way, then I feel somewhat sorry for him. I do not feel sorry for him if Sloan and Jazz management do not respect AK47’s wishes after he made those comments. It was unnecessary for him to speak in such a manner to any media entity (even a Russian paper) while under contract. Another consequence of his remarks will be an upset fan base. My question is where was his agent (Marc Fleisher of Entersport) during all of this? Kirilenko hired Fleisher to represent him in times like these. That representation should include relations with the media. Andrei…for future reference, keep your mouth shut and let your agent handle the media and team ownership when you are upset with your contract.

-Darren Heitner

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.

4 replies on “AK47 Fully Loaded”

Agreed. However, it seems that he’s not upset about his contract so much as he’s upset with his situation, and specifically his relationship with Sloan. He’s lost all leverage, but in his mind it seems that leaving Utah is more important than salvaging any of that $63m.

The worst thing he’s done, imo, is to air his dirty laundry in public. A future team (either in the NBA or overseas) will have to keep this in mind (i.e., perhaps Sloan’s not the problem at all; perhaps ‘ak’ is just tough to work with).

But then again, as TO has shown, no matter how much of a character you are, if you’re talented, someone will pay you to play.

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