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When Andrei Kirilenko opted out of a $10.2 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 32-year-old forward did so presumably looking for one last long-term deal of his career. Then the Russian star decided to sign a two-year deal with the Brooklyn Nets that will pay him just over $3 million this season, and the conspiracy theories immediately started. The Nets are owned by Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, so surely there was some backroom, nudge-nudge agreement for further compensation under the table, right? "No," Kirilenko said Thursday during a conference call. "Those type of rumours I cant control. I guess it comes from the history because of Russia, the KGB. I dont know what to think. I played 12 years in the NBA. It makes it look funny for those type of accusations." Earlier this summer, Prokhorov chalked up the talk to the kind of suspicion that is rooted in cinema and Cold War thinking, not modern reality. "I think old stereotypes, they are very hard to beat and to break," Prokhorov said. "And I want to thank our fans and members of the press, because they have been very quick to support us. And I respect all the NBA rules, and we play by the NBA rules. But I want just to stress once again, like with the luxury tax, I will do whatever I can in order to win championship, but under the NBA rules, please make no mistake about this." Kirilenko said the reason he chose Brooklyn is much simpler. After spending his first 11 seasons in the NBA with the Utah Jazz and Timberwolves, his motivation has changed from making money to chasing championships. "I play in NBA for 12 years and I think there is a time to take a shot to win a title," Kirilenko said. After spending the lockout year playing in Moscow, a rejuvenated Kirilenko averaged 12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and shot 50.7 per cent for the Timberwolves last season. He also helped turn a team that had struggled mightily on defence for years into a respectable unit on that end of the floor. His contributions had team President David Kahn assuring Kirilenko that he would get a new, long-term deal from the Wolves this summer. But Kahn was fired after the season and new team President Flip Saunders wasnt willing to give Kirilenko a three or four-year deal worth more than $30 million, numbers that were discussed during the season. So Kirilenko opted out of the final year of his deal with Minnesota and hit the market. "At that time I was feeling I want to be in Minnesota for a long time," Kirilenko said. "But there were some changes to Minnesota and I really respect Flip Saunders and I respect his decision that he decided not to sign me for a long time. I cant do anything with that. That kind of opened up all my options. I start looking to other teams and start comparing situations to other teams." He had conversations with several teams, and the Timberwolves did offer him a three-year deal that would have paid him $6 million to $7 million annually to anchor the teams defence. But Prokhorov was in the middle of a summer spending spree, swinging a massive trade to land Celtics stars Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry that would send the Nets luxury tax bill skyrocketing. Its the kind of bold, brash moves that Kirilenko watched Prokhorov pull off when the two were teamed up for Russian powerhouse CSKA Moscow, and he liked what he saw. "Hes always been known as a guy who is really trying to get the result," Kirilenko said. "Hes a competitor and he wants to win. Its always great when your owner is really passionate about basketball." And the Russian roots dont hurt, either. When Prokhorov first bought the Nets, Kirilenko said he envisioned himself one day playing in Brooklyn. He goes to New York, where there is a vibrant Russian community, another big plus for him. "Its a huge part," he said. "Its kind of reminding me that Im playing at home. In the lockout year I played back in Moscow and I feel so great that I had Russian friends and all the fans. Everybody speaks Russian. It makes you feel like you are home." Taking such a big pay cut certainly was a part of the discussions he had with his wife and children about the move. But they looked at living in New York, playing for Prokhorov and playing with a star-studded team that also includes Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson, and decided they couldnt pass it up. "I understand the money is not that great, is not what I could have made," Kirilenko said. "If you take a look at the situations, 10 years ago, Im not sure I wouldve taken that deal. Right now it was certainly best option possible to take the chance and win the trophy. Im not saying were going to win. ... But for first time in my career Im starting the season when I know we have a chance to win the whole thing." 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Jordan Siev, a lawyer for Rodriguez, wrote in a joint letter to the judge from lawyers on both sides that MLB lawyers planned to ask that the lawsuit be dismissed. PITTSBURGH -- Antonio Brown can do a lot of things, most of them spectacularly. Weaving his way through three defenders to get open, however, is not one of them.For the Pittsburgh Steelers offense to snap out of its midseason malaise, the All-Pro wide receiver needs help. While Brown is in the midst of another 100-catch season, no other Pittsburgh wideout is on pace for more than 40. During last Sundays loss in Baltimore, Brown was the only Pittsburgh receiver with a reception until early in the fourth quarter.Darrius Heyward-Bey, Sammie Coates and Cobi Hamilton, I think, collectively had zero catches, coach Mike Tomlin said. You have to balance it out. You cant allow people to do some of the things that theyve been able to do against Antonio without repercussions. When were functioning well, its because those potential other guys, like Im talking about, are producing plays.That was something that happened with regularity over the seasons first five weeks. The Steelers raced to a 4-1 record and alleviated concerns they would struggle to find a complement to Brown with talented but mercurial Martavis Bryant serving a one-year suspension for violating the leagues substance abuse policy.Then the injuries and the losses started piling up. Slot guy Eli Rogers went down with a turf toe in Week 3, then was briefly benched when he returned for reasons coach Mike Tomlin declined to elaborate on. The best day of Coates brief career -- six grabs for 139 yards and two scores in a romp over the Jets in Week 5 -- also coincided with a laceration between the index and middle fingers of his left hand. Suddenly, his hot start was a memory.Heyward-Bey darted 60 yards to the end zone on an end-around against Miami, and made a beautiful toe-tapping touchdown in New England, only to sprain his foot in Baltimore. Markus Wheaton entered the season as a starter, but a sprained shoulder that has lingered for the better part of two months has made him a nonfactor.While running back LeVeon Bell may be the best run/catch dual threat in the league, hes more safety valve than sprinter.If you can contain 84 (Brown) and 7 (Roethlisberger) then everything else will fall in its place, said Ravens defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, a game plan suure to be copied by the Dallas Cowboys (7-1) this weekend -- and everyone else the Steelers might play until they sort things out.ddddddddddddRogers appears on the verge of getting back to the form he flashed in Week 1, pulling in six balls -- all in the fourth quarter -- against Baltimore. Tight end Ladarius Green, signed in March to become the downfield threat Heath Miller was not, is nearing his return from the physically unable to perform list. Coates is playing even as the finger heals, though hes been a decoy more than anything and dropped a pass in the end zone in the fourth quarter against Baltimore that forced the Steelers to eat up more time as they tried to put together a rally.Pittsburgh (4-4) doesnt need someone to out-Brown Brown. But the Steelers are well aware they need to get production elsewhere when Brown is bottled up.It might not be a high-volume number of plays, but its significant plays, Tomlin said. Whether its a significant possession down, whether its a field-flipping play, whether its a touchdown.Anything to give Brown even the tiniest sliver of freedom.If teams are going to try to take the underneath stuff away, you have to hit the deep stuff, Roethlisberger said. And when they take the deep stuff away, you have to hit the underneath stuff. Its taking what the defense gives you. You just need to continue to grow in all areas of our offense, whether thats short or deep, or inside or out.And if the players are unsure about how to get there, Roethlisberger has a bit of advice. This isnt the first time in his 13-year career the Steelers have reached the midpoint a bit of a mess. Theres time to clean it up if everyone chips in.Follow me, Roethlisberger said. Guys who have been here who know, no time or reason to panic.Game notes C Maurkice Pouncey (thumb), RB DeAngelo Williams (knee) and S Jordan Dangerfield (groin) did not practice Wednesday. ... LB Bud Dupree practiced Wednesday, testing the groin injury that forced the team to put him on the injured reserve list in September.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '