By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Speaking to iz.ru, Andrei Kirilenko addressed the upcoming November FIBA World Cup qualifiers windows, during which the Russian NT might lack some of its stars due to the ongoing EuroLeague season.
Russia needs to bounce back in November, at whatever cost.
“There is no agreement for these matches, but we are in constant discussions”, tells Kirilenko. “In the past year, we allowed the teams to decide whether to let the players compete for the National Team or not, we took the risk and gave the opportunity to younger guys to show what can they do in the Qualifies. The team was defeated and now we are facing a situation where there is no room for mistakes. The next window will be decisive for us. If the team does not play well, it will cost us not only the World Cup but also the Olympic Games.”
Kirilenko insists that Russia needs its big stars: “What’s the point of trying to expand the game in Russia through VTB League if we can’t have the best players from each team on the NT? I am not able to figure out how teams will not allow their players to join the NT, especially in these two upcoming games that will be the most important ones in the NT’s recent history”, he concluded.