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September 23, 2010

Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi Pulls Back the Mikhail Prokhorov Mask

Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn

Speaking of Mikhail Prokhorov...

Yesterday on Don Imus's Fox Business talk show Rolling Stone's no-nonsense reporter Matt Taibbi had a few pointed things to say about Russian oligarch, Nets and Barclays Center owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

"It's unbelievable to me [Prokhorov is] being celebrated as this great guy," Taibbi said. Taibbi is no stranger to the Russian scene or Prokhorov as he used to be a journalist in that country after the dissolution of the USSR.

Taibbi explained that Prokhorov's wealth was created by fixed, sweetheart deals, much like Bruce Ratner's. He also said what most observers have noted previously—that NBA commissioner David Stern basically looked the other way when his sports league "vetted" Prokhorov.

Watch the clip below:

link

Related coverage...

NetsDaily, Matt Taibbi rips into Mikhail Prokhorov

The impression I was left with by Taibbi is that Prokhorov is a lucky opportunist at best, a sleazy industrialist at worst who's image here in America has been carefully crafted and calibrated via the media.

NoLandGrab: In which case, he upholds perfectly the tradition of recent Nets owners.

Posted by eric at September 23, 2010 9:52 AM