New Nets Owner Means Business

The 2009-2010 New Jersey Nets were easily one of the worst NBA teams of all time.  They finished the season a mere three losses away from matching the ’72-’73 Philadelphia 76ers for the worst season in NBA history, with a final record of 12-70.  Last week, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov — the 39th richest man in the world according to Forbes Magazine — purchased an 80 percent share of the Nets for $200 million.  Prokhorov isn’t being shy about making predictions for his new team.  Not only does he expect the Nets to make the playoffs next season — he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing a championship to New Jersey right away.  Check out the video of new Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov addressing Nets fans and making his predictions for the team’s future, courtesy of Staten Island Live.

I actually respect Prokhorov’s effort in making this video.  Are his predictions a bit far-fetched at this point?  Probably.  Signing LeBron James and obtaining the first overall pick in the Draft Lottery would certainly be a start.  Whether the Nets are capable of making the playoffs next season and winning an NBA title in the next five years or not, you have to applaud Prokhorov for coming out and directly addressing the fans right away instead of hiding like a lot of owners.  Many owners buy a team and then are never seen or heard from, so it takes a lot of guts to come right out and address the concerns of fans whose team only managed 10 wins.  Is it wrong that I can’t watch this video without thinking of Ivan Drago’s “I cannot be defeated, I will defeat all man” speech in Rocky IV?

Sources:
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov address fans via internet video [SILive.com]
Done Deal: Mikhail Prokhorov owns the New Jersey Nets [NJ.com]