When Mikhail Prokhorov bought the Nets two years ago, he declared the franchise will win a title by the end of the 2015 season.
After seeing his team’s roster dramatically overhauled this offseason ahead of the Nets beginning play in Brooklyn this fall, Prokhorov is standing behind that prediction.
“For me, there’s only one place: number one,” Prokhorov said Friday inside his team’s brand-new home, Barclays Center, in Brooklyn. “And I do my best to reach the championship.
“We’re moving on … slowly, slowly, step by step. It’s easy to make a strong team, but it’s very difficult to make a championship team. So we’re on the right way. And still, I’m expecting our championship within three years.”
Prokhorov was at Barclays Center alongside arena developer Bruce Ratner, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other dignitaries to help cut the ribbon for the $1 billion arena.
“When I saw, two years ago, a big hole in the ground … it was a dream for me, what we see now,” Prokhorov said. “I think it’s the best arena in the world, and what I like is we’re bringing a very good team worthy of this great arena of the borough of Brooklyn.”
The state-of-the-art home for the new-look Nets will be opened Friday with a concert by Jay-Z, which Prokhorov plans to attend.
Prokhorov also will be at the first-ever regular season Nets game at the arena, the home opener against the Knicks on Nov. 1.
“I’m really thirsting for the first of November,” he said. “I think, what could be better than a rivalry for New York City? We’ll fight on the court, [and] we’ll see who is better.”
Prokhorov said he has personally invited Knicks owner James Dolan to come to the game.
“I’m still waiting for the answer,” he added with a smile.
After spending the past two years since he took over as owner mostly watching from afar, the Russian billionaire reiterated another earlier pledge he would have a bigger presence at his team’s games when the Nets completed their long-awaited move to Brooklyn.
“Sure,” Prokhorov said when asked if he’d be around more often, “because I promised to be at 25 percent of our home games.
“And now we can add playoffs.”
Prokhorov then said, “For sure,” when asked if that meant he was guaranteeing a playoff appearance for his Nets.
That guarantee is far safer than his championship pledge, however, given the way the roster has been retooled during the offseason by Nets general manager Billy King.
Prokhorov said he thinks King will be rewarded for his efforts.
“I think, I’m sure, I do believe he’ll be GM of the year,” Prokhorov said with a smile.
The owner also threw his support behind the management team of King and coach Avery Johnson, who enters this season in the final year of his initial three-year contract — and, for the first time in his three years as Nets coach, with a truly playoff-caliber roster.
“I think now we have a very good team,” Prokhorov said. “We have a great team spirit, with the coaches, the general manager and this team … I think we’ll be together for the next couple of years.”
He also made it clear that King had his support entering free agency, when the Nets quickly amassed over $300 million in future salary commitments.
“We have teamwork,” Prokhorov said. “We had a strategy … we had Plan A, B, C and D. So we work together.
“My way of management is to find the best people in the market and let them work, because they’re professionals … so we have a really good team now.”