The sale of the Nets became official yesterday — as did Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov’s intention of being at the NBA lottery.
“This much-anticipated day has finally come and now the real fun begins of building a championship team with a state-of-the-art home in the Barclays Center,” Prokhorov, who bought 80 percent of the Nets from developer Bruce Ratner, said in a statement. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to combine great sports and good business. . . . To the fans, whether in New Jersey, Brooklyn, or Moscow, I will do everything I can to give you a winning team.
“See you at the Draft Lottery.”
So Prokhorov, who also gets 45 percent of the Barclays Center, will be in Secaucus Tuesday form the draft lottery then hold a press conference in mid-town Manhattan Wednesday. The Nets hope Prokhorov’s wealth, estimated at $13.4 billion, will help reverse the fortunes of the ailing franchise. The Nets went a dismal 12-70 this season, the sixth since Ratner bought the team in August, 2004. The deal with Prokhorov was closed yesterday at 12:30 p.m.
“This is a partnership that will allow us to bring Brooklyn and the Nets to a world-wide audience,” Ratner said.
“The happiest man in all this has to be Bruce Ratner,” said one opposing executive who, like many NBA execs, coaches and assistants, yesterday saw approval of Prokhorov as a positive for the league but asked for anonymity because he didn’t want to publicly address another team’s dealings. “Ratner got in it for the real estate and got screwed but only after he screwed the Nets.”
One coach called Prokhorov the “Russian Mark Cuban who is going to do whatever it takes to win.” He was alluding to the Dallas owner’s vast wealth and competitive drive to win.
The real Mark Cuban welcomed Prokhorov into the NBA’s ownership ranks.
“I think it’s great,” Cuban said via e-mail. “His desire to win, and his personality are a huge positive for the NBA.”
Prokhorov, the first NBA owner from outside North America, was approved by the NBA’s Board of Governors Tuesday in an electronic vote, 28-0, with one abstention.
“This is a very positive development for the league in its desire to be an international venture,” another opposing team executive said. “In a league where spending is limited by collective bargaining, he can’t do anything unfair.”
But Prokhorov’s bucks will spare the Nets from such indignities as four-day summer work weeks, seeking only expiring contracts and sharing a summer league team.
“Still, all Prokhorov’s money won’t mean a thing if it’s not spent wisely,” one Western assistant said.