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Andrei Kirilenko
Prior to even joining the NBA, Andrei Kirilenko established quite the basketball career over in his home nation of Russia. He began his professional basketball career in 1997, not making the leap to the NBA until 2001. He joined CSKA Moscow in 1998 which is where he made the most noise overseas, winning the Russian League MVP at the age of 19. He would return to CSKA Moscow during the lockout of 2011, where he would win the EuroLeague MVP and Best Defender.
The Utah Jazz drafted Kirilenko in 1999 (but he remained with CSKA Moscow until 2001), making him the first Russian to be drafted in the first round. Kirilenko’s accolades rest strongly on the defensive side of the ball.
A three-time All-Defense player from 2004-06, he led the league in blocks per game with 3.3 in 2005. Albeit, he played in only 41 games. He was named to the All-Star Game in 2004 when he posted 16.5 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game. He also had 1.9 steals per game and 2.8 blocks. From 2002-07, Kirilenko placed top 10 in blocks per game.
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In the 2006-07 season, led by head coach Jerry Sloan, Deron Williams, and Carlos Boozer, Kirilenko and the Jazz appeared in the Western Conference Finals, losing to the eventual NBA Champions, the San Antonio Spurs. Kirilenko and the Jazz went on to make the playoffs three more times in a row. However, they failed to replicate their Western Conference Finals success.
A beloved player in both Utah and in Russia, Andrei Kirilenko locks in at the third-best Andre(i) position as he is Thomas Jefferson.