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September 30, 2009

The Nets Offseason: In Their Own Words

Nets are Scorching [ESPN]
By Mark Ginocchio

While the Nets have only made a handful of roster moves since the end of the 2008-09 NBA season, their summer has certainly been an eventful one. With training camp kicking off this week, NAS is looking back at the events of the past three months, using the Nets own words to tell the tale.

Excerpts related to the Atlantic Yards saga:

July 23 – Anonymous team official on the possibility of Bruce Ratner selling the team (Star-Ledger): “Bruce has looked into several options. He’s had offers, he’s made counteroffers, and at some point in time - probably by the time the season gets under way - something will transpire.
...
September 9 – Bruce Ratner on the new Barclays Arena renderings (release): “The Barclays Center will quickly become an iconic part of the Brooklyn landscape. The design is elegant and intimate and also a bold architectural statement that will nicely complement the surrounding buildings and neighborhoods.”

September 9 – Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn on the renderings (release): “It’s all lipstick on a corrupt pig, window-dressing on a boondoggle.”
...
September 22 – Russia’s richest man, Mikhail Prokhorov on his interest in buying the Nets (blog post): “For our Onexim group the realization of this very lucrative business project, whose participation was made possible by the world crisis (never in history have foreigners owned an NBA club), is another interesting sports development.”

September 23 – David Stern on the announcement that Prokhorov was buying the Nets (press release): “We are looking forward to the Nets’ move to a state-of-the-art facility in Brooklyn, with its rich sports heritage. Interest in basketball and the NBA is growing rapidly on a global basis and we are especially encouraged by Mr. Prokhorov’s commitment to the Nets and the opportunity it presents to continue the growth of basketball in Russia.”

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Posted by lumi at September 30, 2009 5:53 AM