The 31-year-old Andrei Kirilenko , who joined the Utah Jazz from CSKA as a raw talent in 2001, was unsure what to do when the July-December NBA lockout ended as many of the Euroleague’s imports from the world’s most popular league headed back across the Atlantic.  He decided to stay but will return for the 2012-13 season.  There were reports that Kirilenko would sign with the Toronto Raptors or the Brooklyn Nets but he says priority will be given to the Utah Jazz.  Read more after the jump.

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“I had a lot of doubts but a number of factors came into the picture, most of all the fantastic team chemistry at CSKA and my desire to mould with the core of the Russian national team vying for an Olympic berth,” Kirilenko told reporters on Thursday.

“In the end I decided to stay because the exertions in the Euroleague, where you are allowed to have a dip in form, are less demanding than those in the NBA where you sometimes play five games a week and have no time to recuperate.

”I am very excited to be back and after winning the 2007 European Championship with Russia, I now want to win Europe’s premier club competition too and especially so because this is something of an uncharted territory for me.“

Although Kirilenko has seen the thick and thin of top level basketball with the Utah Jazz, the towering Russian revealed the stage fright of a nervous teenager as he prepared for the final practice session ahead of battle.

”I am really anxious and I can’t wait for the match with Panathinaikos to begin because unlike the NBA playoffs, where every round is a best-of-seven series, this is a one-off with no margin for error,“ he said with a smile.

Still uncertain about his future, Kirilenko faces the same dilemma at the end of the season when the time comes for him to decide which of his two passions to follow.

“I have a huge history with the Utah Jazz and they are a priority for me among the 30 teams competing in the NBA, while CSKA are just as close to my heart in Europe and when the Final Four is over I will weigh my options and make a decision.”

Reuters