INQUIRER Sports

MOSCOW - Forward Andrei Kirilenko, who plays for NBA side Utah Jazz, will spearhead defending champions Russia at the European basketball championships in Poland this September.

Russia manager David Blatt also called up naturalized American forward Kelly McCarty, who plays for this season's Russian Superleague runners-up Khimki.

McCarty will replace CSKA Moscow guard Robert Holden - another player of American origin - in the Russian squad.