NEW YORK — Mikhail Prokhorov came to the NBA with billions in the bank, a rich sense of humor and a wealth of audacity. He wielded it all with an impish glee.
"America, I come in peace," a smirking Prokhorov said upon his introduction as the new owner of the then-New Jersey Nets, in May 2010.
He was a mystery then, a Russian oligarch with a thick accent, a lanky build and a quick wit. He exuded charm, even while showing off a Kalashnikov rifle on 60 Minutes.
And he had big plans: a championship in five years. A mass conversion of Knicks fans (who were, seemingly, ripe for the converting). A global following.
Across from Madison Square Garden, a billboard rose: an image of Prokhorov and Jay Z, then a Nets shareholder, under a slogan: "The blueprint for greatness."
Oh, the audacity. It was Prokhorov's calling card from day one.
It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, either. The vagabond Nets, with a new arena rising in Brooklyn, badly needed some personality. The Knicks, living for decades off the fumes of their 1973 title, badly needed a wake-up call.
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Article written by Howard Beck
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