Two years ago Andrei Kirilenko was playing for the Timberwolves.
On Tuesday, Kirilenko was voted the new president of the Russian Basketball Federation, ESPN reports.
Kirilenko, who played for the Wolves during the 2012-13 season, was running for president of his home country’s top basketball league against one other man, but that person pulled out of the competition, thus giving Kirilenko an unopposed victory.
Can AK-47 save basketball in Russia? Andrei Kirilenko, once the face of the country's national team, is going to try. http://t.co/yFy95HoZPk
— Andrew John (@Andrew_L_John) August 25, 2015
Kirilenko’s priority will be lifting a ban FIBA imposed on the Russian Basketball Federation in July. The federation was barred from participating in all international competition, including the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, due to scandal past leaders of the league were accused of.
Russia Beyond The Headlines has more on the scandal right here.
During his one season in Minnesota, Kirilenko averaged 12.4 points and 5.7 rebounds in 64 games. Kevin Love (18.3 points) and Nikola Pekovic (16.3 points) were Minnesota’s leading scorers that season.
Kirilenko wore number 47 in the NBA and was nicknamed “AK 47.”
