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NBA: 30 greatest international players in league history

By Daniel Lubofsky

SAN ANTONIO - MAY 09: Guard Steve Nash #13 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball past Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 9, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO - MAY 09: Guard Steve Nash #13 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball past Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 9, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Andrei Kirilenko, Utah Jazz
Andrei Kirilenko, Utah Jazz (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Greatest international NBA players of all time: 17. Andrei Kirilenko

Defensive versatility is as sought-after a trait as there is in the NBA today. With lineups as small as ever with switches on nearly every pick-and-roll, a guy who can defend multiple positions can carve out an important niche on a championship contending team.

What so many players bring to the table now is what Andrei Kirilenko brought more than a decade ago. He stood 6’9” with arms that stretched well over seven feet, and yet the Russian’s foot-speed still managed to have him stay in front of smaller perimeter threats. It’s what helped him land a spot on three All-NBA Defensive Teams, including one first-team selection.

Aside from the smothering defense he imposed on just about every top-level opponent, Kirilenko’s numbers are unlike any the league has ever seen before. He averaged 12.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists a night in 10 seasons with the Utah Jazz. Those numbers are average, but they’re also flanked by 2.0 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, truly standout statistics from AK-47.

A five-by-five performance is one in which a player records five of five separate statistics, meaning points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. There have been nine such stat-lines this century and Kirilenko owns a third of them.

This is a guy whose highest single-season scoring average is just 16.5 points per game, but who led the league in blocks per game in 2004-05 with 3.3, as a forward. He was a member of a competitive Jazz bunch that qualified for five playoffs in six seasons, serving as the go-to defender throughout.

There’s never been a player quite like Andrei Kirilenko and there may never be. Draymond Green comes to mind, but he continues to be aided in part by functioning as the tallest man on the court at times. What Kirilenko accomplished in an era that didn’t maximize his potential as well as it could’ve is a feat that may never be seen again.