Photo: Steve Freeman/Getty Images
- Adam ParkerIt appears that the majority owner of the Brooklyn Nets, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, has it all figured out.
At the opening of his team's new home, the $1 billion Barclays Center, (yes, you read that right, billion), the big basketball lover from Russia with an even bigger pocketbook shared his thoughts on the team's future plans and what he expects from them going forward.
"Every team has a grand plan, and we're moving slowly, step by step, because it's easy to make a strong team, but it's very difficult to make a championship team. So we are on the right way and I'm expecting our championship within three years now," Prokhorov told reporters Friday morning after participating in a ribbon-cutting with partner Bruce Ratner and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, marking the cermonial opening of the new arena in downtown Brooklyn.
You hear that, Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, Brook Lopez, head coach Avery Johnson and General Manager Billy King? Your owner just slapped a definitive deadline on you guys bringing home an NBA title. No pressure.
Apparently, King shares his owner's potentially misguided confidence. "He said five, so we're down to three. To me, it's a great goal," said King. "I'd rather have him say that then say, 'Hopefully we're going to win a championship at some point.' That's the goal and I look forward to the challenge."
Well, that makes two people in the Nets' organization who are on board. Forgive me if I'm hesitant to join them on the delusion and grandeur bandwagon, though.
After all, the Nets have gone just 58-172 over the last three seasons and haven't made the playoffs since the 2006-07 season. Hell, the last time they were relevant, really relevant, was back when the trio of Jason Kidd, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson led the team to an NBA Finals appearance back in 2000.
To his credit though, Prokhorov is at least giving his team every opportunity to make his prediction become a reality. He opened up the wallet and allowed his front office to dole out more than $330 million to Williams and surround him with talented players like Johnson and Wallace. Huh. A great point guard flanked by two great wing players... I'm sensing a pattern here...
Anyway, back to what I was saying regarding Prokhorov. The guy just wants to win. He doesn't care how much money he has too spend on player salary, luxury tax penalties, whatever. He is stout in his resolve and understands that to beat the best and then remain the best, you typically have to spend like the best.
In that regard, he's kind of becoming the Russian Mark Cuban [Dallas Mavericks' owner] and there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, Cuban is probably my favorite owner across all of professional sports because he loves his team as much as it's biggest fan. Hell, he is the team's biggest fan and his ownership style, while it didn't happen overnight, did lead the Mavs' to a championship.
Will the same thing happen with Prokhorov and the Nets? Going by Prokhorov's self-imposed deadline, we'll know in three seasons' time. Hopefully for Nets' fans, Brooklyn's players and coaching staff will prove up to the task.
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