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April 9, 2012
After suffering political and financial blows, NJ Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov returns to the U.S.
Prokhorov ready to vie with Mavericks' Mark Cuban for Deron Williams
NY Daily News
by Stefan Bondy
“If you chase two hares, you will catch none.”
Russians are known for speaking in proverbs and this one, preaching constraint, is a relevant cautionary tale for Mikhail Prokhorov as he prepares for his return this week to the United States.
Prokhorov chased two hares, stretching himself thin in recent months. He failed in his presidential bid against Vladimir Putin. His net worth took a reported $5 billion hit in 2011. His Brooklyn-bound team is floundering under the weight of its own ambitions, losing out on Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard and, for the fifth straight season, the playoffs. The Nets lived and faltered by yet another Russian proverb: “If you’re afraid of wolves, don’t go to the woods.” They now risk being devoured by the pack of superstars they hunted.
The oligarch is carrying a defeat streak into his next uphill battle, a fight for Deron Williams that might determine the fate of the Brooklyn Nets for the foreseeable future. His opponent in this war, Mark Cuban, might not wield the same powers of persuasion as Putin, but is increasingly recognized as the frontrunner to snatch Williams in free agency — “a threat,” as characterized by Nets coach Avery Johnson.
NoLandGrab: "Failed in his presidential bid against Vladimir Putin?" Hardly. Unlike his failing ownership of the Nets, his phony opposition candidacy worked to Kremlin perfection, with Putin winning election in a deeply tainted landslide. Presumably, though, he's not working secretly with Mark Cuban to send Deron Williams Dallas-bound. That'll work out on its own.
Related content...
Nets Blog [NYPost.com], Prokhorov spends Easter Sunday with the Nets
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov settled into a luxury box at Prudential Center Sunday night shortly before tip-off to watch his team take on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Prokhorov, who hasn't attended a home game in over a year, and hasn't seen the Nets play at all since they swept a pair of games against the Raptors in London last year, is scheduled to hold a press conference Tuesday morning in Brooklyn at the site of the Barclays Center, where he will tour the facility for the first time.
Posted by eric at April 9, 2012 11:01 AM