Utah Jazz notebook: Kirilenko pauses to think about Olympics
But after pools were drawn over the weekend for this August's Summer Olympics, the Jazz small forward — star of the Russian national team — didn't mind talking globally.
"For everybody," Kirilenko said, "it was a surprise that we won the European championships. So I wouldn't say we are favorites, but we will fight."
Russia was pooled into preliminary-round Group A along with Lithuania, defending Olympic-champion Argentina, Australia, Iran and one to-be-determined qualifier.
The United States is in Group B with host China, Africa zone-champion Angola, defending IBA world champ Spain and two to-be-determined qualifiers.
That means a possible medal-round meeting between Russia and Team USA, which is likely to feature Jazz power forward Carlos Boozer and may include point guard Deron Williams as well.
U.S. team members will be named June 30.
The Americans will be expected by some to medal, but Kirilenko suggested it's a wide-open tourney.
"I think Argentina is a pretty good team, I think Spain is a pretty good team, I think Lithuania is a pretty good team," Kirilenko added. "So you can't really think one team is going to be better, or 'the favorite."'
LINE DANCE: FIBA — governing body for international basketball, including the Olympics — plans some changes.
Starting after the 2010 world championships, the 3-point line will move back for international play and the 3-second lane will switch from its traditional trapezoid shape (in place since the 1950s) to an NBA-style rectangle.
The long-distance line initially will go from 20-feet, 6.1 inches to 22 feet, 1.7 inches — with further increases to eventual NBA distance (23 feet, 9 inches) likely phased in over the next 10 years.
The changes were inspired, according to FIBA, "by the attempt to further unify all existing game rules and to have, in the future, only one set of rules for the game of basketball worldwide."
Kirilenko's reaction?
"I don't really care," he said. "You get used to playing with different kind of rules."
Besides, Kirilenko added, "it's just, like, lines."
LIVINGSTON WINS, RETIRES: Ex-Jazz guard Randy Livingston helped lead Idaho to the 2008 NBA Development League championship last Friday night in Boise, then announced his retirement after 12 seasons as a pro.
"This is the most amazing way to end," Livingston, who played 17 games for the Jazz late in the 2004-05 season, was quoted as saying by NBA.com after the Stampede beat Austin 108-101 in Game 3 of the D-League's title series.
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