In the Brooklyn Nets’ 94-87 Game 1 win against the Toronto Raptors, Andrei Kirilenko never removed his warmups. AK-47’s wife, the Russian pop singer Masha Lopatova, was not thrilled with Nets head coach Jason Kidd’s roster management. Per the NY Post:
On her Instagram account after the game, Lopatova tweeted out a picture of her husband sitting on the bench with the comment, “…And you are Kidding like Jason…” which appeared to be a reference to Nelly’s song, “Hot in Herre” which includes the line, “I’m just kiddin’ like Jason.”
As fans and others began to comment on the photo, Lopatova later wrote, “I don’t want to say anything bad, but just think about 350 million Russian fans back in Russia cheering for the one Russian player in the playoffs (not to mention Russian community and Russian ownership) that hurts!!!”
When a fan later said, “You guys know they won today, right?” she responded, “W – is all that matters!”
Kirilenko didn’t speak to reporters after the game, but Kidd downplayed his absence from the rotation afterward.
“Ten other guys played,” Kidd said. “I can’t play ’em all. He’s healthy.”