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Andrei Kirilenko missed practice on Thursday, a day before an elimination game against the Los Angeles Lakers in Utah due to a family trip to France.

Let me explain.

So Kirilenko has had this big trip planned with his family France this summer, right? But in order to make it, he had to secure a travel visa. And as you know, things like travel visas aren't exactly being handed out like annual spouse-allowed infidelities anymore. So Kirilenko scheduled an appointment weeks ago to secure the visa. He informed coaches of it weeks ago, and, presumably, reminded them of it. He was given permission to miss practice today on account of that little trip for what I can only imagine was a lot of standing in line, waiting for paper work to go through, and generally being annoyed at he endless bureaucracies we surround ourselves with on a daily basis.

Jazz fans probably will be initially disheartened and annoyed by this. After all, tomorrow night in Salt Lake City could be the last game in the Jazz's season, they're locked up in a very tough matchup with the tough seed in the West, and Kirilenko kind of, you know, starts for them.

However, this is one of those situations when you need to remember that athletes are still people like the rest of us in a lot of ways.Kirilenko was professional in his approach, received permission for the trip, and had a valid excuse. These things happen and they're unfortunate, but unless it''s revealed that Kirilenko could have scheduled it for after the Finals were over and elected not to, no big deal. But if he made the appointment, assuming the Jazz would be eliminated... um ... that would be bad. But that's purely conjecture at this point, and Jerry Sloan should be commended for his professionalism with the whole situation.