Someone once said you never get a second chance to make a first impression. But a good first impression can lead to a second chance. I came up with that second part because it fits the Nets, who will get the first opportunity to impress LeBron James this morning when they meet in Cleveland.
The Nets’ new billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov, hip-hop mogul and minority owner Jay-Z, along with outgoing team president Rod Thorn and new coach Avery Johnson will attempt to convince James he should leave the Cavaliers and use his free agency to join them in Jersey.
The Nets will get three hours to make their pitch, and then the Knicks, Bulls, Heat, Clippers and Cavaliers will follow. Only time will tell if the Nets will get a call back and eventually land the biggest prize in the free-agency pool. But even if they don’t, they already have made themselves a winner of sorts by commanding the kind of respect and attention a 12-win team hardly deserves.
Sure they would love to add James and another big-name free agent to go along with center Brook Lopez, guard Devin Harris and first-round pick Derrick Favors. But landing James isn’t the be-all, end-all it seems to be for the Knicks. Regardless of whom the Nets sign, they still will be viewed as a team on the rise; a franchise infused with new blood and a new attitude headed by Prokhorov, who looks like an owner with no intention of taking a back seat to anyone.
Take the 225-foot mural of Prokhorov and Jay-Z positioned prominently near Madison Square Garden. It bears the slogan “the blueprint for greatness.” Not only is it a play on Jay-Z’s “Blueprint” album series, but it also is a clear message to Manhattan and the Knicks about Prokhorov’s intentions. If he isn’t afraid to waste money on a huge billboard in the middle of Manhattan during the summer, he won’t be shy about spending it to attract the best players to make his team great.
No doubt when Prokhorov speaks to James today he’ll tell him about his deep pockets, his global business connections and how to be a real international icon. Jay-Z can talk about a LeBron clothing line, a LeBron fragrance or even a LeBron record label. Johnson can promise the Nets will emphasize defense, while Thorn can assure him the transition to the next team present will be seamless.
That might not be enough to convince James, but it will convince someone who can embrace the Nets’ future. Amar’e Stoudemire, David Lee or Carlos Boozer would be a good fit, adding proven production to a team already well on its way to erasing last year’s 12-70 nightmare.
Prokhorov has said his message to free agents will be a simple one.
“We will have a desire to win that is unmatched anywhere in the league,” he said soon after he was approved as the Nets’ new owner. “This will be a first-class organization with all the support it needs.”
He has said he expects to be in the playoffs next season and win a championship in a maximum of five years. Yes, those are lofty goals. But Prokhorov obviously is serious enough to buy a 225-foot billboard outside James Dolan’s window to proclaim his intentions.
Landing James might be asking for too much too soon, but if anyone can pull it off, you figure Prokhorov and his billions can. If James doesn’t want his money, somebody will. Not just this year, but next year and the year after that. In two years, Prokhorov will be in Brooklyn, and maybe James will be on that billboard with him.