Andrei Kirilenko‘s “AK47” nickname was one of the all-time best in the NBA. Even in retirement, that nickname still holds up against any of those belonging to today’s players. Now that his playing days are over, Kirilenko has plenty of time on his hands to do whatever and go wherever he likes – such as his hometown of Izhevsk in Russia. And what was Kirilenko greeted with during his visit? Why, a model AK-47, of course!
Andrei Kirilenko received a fine model of AK-47 as a gift from head of Udmurtia, visiting Izhevsk where he was born. pic.twitter.com/vSFLoEc7Ak
— Alexander Chernykh (@chernykh) August 19, 2015
It’s a unique gift, certainly more memorable than a key to the city or some flimsy certificate. Kirilenko always had a sharp eye when it comes passing the rock (which is why he was one of the better all-around players in the NBA at his peak), so maybe that will translate well into shooting targets. Sure, it’s just a model gun, but, hey, maybe he has a real one at home?
This is all well and good, but it’s not enough to just have AK47 holding an AK-47. Now we need the following things to happen: Gary Payton wearing a glove; Shaquille O’Neal shaking hands with Aristotle; Dwight Howard flying beside Superman; Karl Malone delivering the mail; Avery Johnson in full — Napoleonic — military garb; Shawn Marion fighting with either Neo or Morpheus and Robert Traylor driving a tractor.
(Bleacher Report and Chernykh)
