Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has endured a fair amount of criticism — to use his word — for not being around his team much this season. But despite Thursday’s 127-110 win over the Hawks at O2 Arena in London being just the second game Prokhorov has seen in person this season, no one can dispute his willingness to do whatever it takes to win.
If you need any proof of that, look no further than the nearly $190 million in payroll and luxury-tax commitments Prokhorov has agreed to pay this season, a number far higher than any other NBA team. But while Prokhorov — who sports a personal fortune north of $13 billion — easily can afford to pay even that vast sum of money, it does come with a different kind of cost: The Nets have little flexibility under the new collective bargaining agreement.
Still, when Prokhorov was asked before Thursday’s win whether he’s worried about the future of the franchise — given the lack of cap flexibility, along with the many future draft picks the Nets are without at the cost of putting this team together — he said he believes his team has a championship formula in place.
“Our goal, we only have one goal: the championship,” he said. “So, I am very committed, and I will do my best in order to reach this. I know there are a lot of rumors, a lot of discussions and that’s good for the team, and I think you can criticize me as much as you care.
“Once, I think the very famous film writer William Goldman was asked about making a good blockbuster. And he said, ‘Nobody knows [anything].’ Why? Because you need to do your job. … You need just to make all the deals you like, and to invite the best people and maybe hope for luck will shine on you, and the pieces come together.”
Because of the relatively similar situations of the Nets and Knicks at the moment — the two local teams are both under .500, have the two highest payrolls in the league this season and have limited draft picks in upcoming years — NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver was asked if things going south for the two teams in the league’s biggest market would be bad for the league.
“Look, I care about every team in the league, and you’d like to see every team present its fans with an opportunity to compete for championships,” said Silver, who will become the league’s commissioner in two weeks when David Stern’s 30-year run comes to an end. “But management matters, and that’s what we’re seeing, especially under this new CBA.
“First of all, it’s still relatively early in the season. I’m not counting out any New York team, especially as the Knicks and Nets are both playing better as of late. So we’ll see. But I don’t have particular concern about one team more than the other in this league. Our jobs are to look out for the health of 30 teams.”
Prokhorov never has minded taking a shot at the Knicks and their owner, James Dolan. But when presented with an opportunity to needle them when asked if he was satisfied the Nets have a better record, Prokhorov passed.
“I think we have a great rivalry in New York,” he said. “Maybe the beginning of the season is not that great for our team or the Knicks, but I think on the 20th of January it’ll be a good fight.
“But it’s very good for the fans in New York, and for the development of basketball.”