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June 25, 2010
Brooklyn pastor, congregation protest at Garden, ask NBA to fully vet Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov
NY Daily News
by Matt Gagne
Pastor Clinton Miller of the Brown Memorial Baptist Church in Brooklyn and dozens of congregation members protested in front of the Garden Thursday afternoon to express their disappointment in the NBA's appointment of Mikhail Prokhorov as the Nets' majority owner.
Wearing a grey pinstriped suit with a gold tie, Miller drew the attention of bystanders and passersby on the corner of 33rd St. and 7th Ave. as he called for the league to investigate the business dealings of Prokhorov, the Russian billionaire who has stirred controversy for his alleged ties to Zimbabwe's repressive government.
..."We're not here to say he shouldn't be the owner of the Nets," said Miller, who added that he hoped Thursday's protest would lead to a meeting with Stern. "We seek clarification and clarity on the business ties of Mikhail Prokhorov and his connections to Zimbabwe. If we don't get clarification, who can outwardly support an NBA franchise that comes to our borough?"
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As NBA fans lined up in anticipation of the NBA Draft Thursday night, Rev. Clinton Miller spoke to a small crowd about what he called the NBA's "double standard" for owners and players and how a company that Mr. Prokhorov partially owns has alleged ties to Zimbabwe, a country the U.S. holds sanctions against.
Some of those gathered held signs with slogans like "NBA DAVID, GET STERN WITH THE OWNERS" and "DID THE NBA REALLY VET THE NET(s)?"
...Attending the protest was Daniel Goldstein, the longtime holdout who lived in the Nets arena footprint until he finally sold his apartment to arena developer Bruce Ratner earlier this year.
"I think that the NBA is playing with fire in that they looked the other way and didn't fully investigate Prokhorov because they are desperate for the money he is bringing to the Nets and I think it's going to burn them in the end," Mr. Goldstein told the Observer at the protest.
Posted by eric at June 25, 2010 10:28 AM