Andrei Kirilenko: 2011-2012 Euroleague MVP, Best Defender and First Team Selection (updated)

AK was named Euroleague MVP and to the Euroleague First Team at the EL Awards ceremony on Saturday (Final Four was on Friday; championship game on Sunday). He also received his Best Defender Trophy, which had been previously announced. I highly approve of his decision to do his hair. :)

AK’s acceptance speech:

It’s a great honor, but in my mind, I would like to split this award in 15 pieces. That’s how many players we got on our team. Those guys with me every game, every practice, every minute in the locker room, and I think they make me better player, and they make me better person, which is more important. So I would like to share this award with them…Thank you very much.

The first award of the night that he received, though, was the Euroleague Best Defender Trophy (voted by EL head coaches):

Next, the All-League First Team (voted by media and fans) was announced. Slick presentation:

AK became only the second player in Euroleague history to pick up three awards in one night after Panathinaikos’ Dimitris Diamantidis (guy in green tie on the far right below).

Post-ceremony interview:

Q: Congratulations. You have all the trophies. How do you feel?
It’s very nice, all the individual awards, it’s always nice to have, but I don’t feel full. Older you get, you want your team to win. And if your team wins, you feel happy.

Q: What about tomorrow’s game? Will you be the Final Four MVP?
I don’t care about Final Four MVP. I only care about result. If we win and [teammate Nenad Krstic] scores 50 points, I’ll be happy to name him MVP. I’m not that cocky and I’m not that greedy. I don’t want everything. I want a title.

More on AK and CSKA tomorrow.