New Jersey Rooskies

[GQBlues]

For what it's worth, and I'm not too sure how many of you are sports fan, let alone the NBA; it appears that there's a new business interest the Russians are sinking their gnashers in in New Jersey. Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov recently completed the sale to own 80% of the New Jersey Nets.

He is the first non-American business person to own an NBA franchise. Considering the season the NJ Nets had this year, he ought to bring in Andrei Kirilenko from the Jazz.

Heck, he ought to also bring in a few dashing devs from Moscow for the intermission dancing entertainment.

[groovlstk]

I'm not a basketball fan, but from what I understand the team is moving to Brooklyn as soon as an arena is built. I'm sure there will be a huge Brighton Beach contingent cheering the team on.

[kievstar]

The owner also has triple the amount of money as Mark Cuban (Dallas owner).  NJ Nets have been in the finals recently and big enough market to win titles.  With several top players available in free agent market this year we will see this summer if this owner wants to win. 

They may get the first pick in the draft and point guard of the future in John Wall.  Pick up Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade in free agency.  Not a bad setup.  Phil Jackson and Lebron going to the Knicks would make a nice NJ / NY rivalry.

[Shadow]

I heard the news, but am waiting for the jokes..

The scenario people told when Lebedev recently bought the Independent:

Lebedev is sitting at home in the morning and tells his wife he is bored.
His wife tells him to do something like buying a newspaper.
In the afternoon Levedev tells his wife that he bought The Independent.
His wife: You idiot..... I meant buy one in the news stand, not the whole busines.....

[tim 360]

The Brooklyn Nyets:

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/p/mikhail_d_prokhorov/index.html

[GQBlues]

Brooklyn Nyets! Too funny! That's a good one Tim.

Moving the team to Brooklyn is definitely a great move. Ratner had been losing a ton of money since the mid-2000 both from the team & his development business. Many of you will remember (maybe not) that the Nets had 2 consecutive NBA Finals' appearance against the Lakers and the Spurs (owning the best and second best record during the '02-'03 seasons; yet even during those times their attendance ranked 26th & 23rd out of the 29 teams). The finals against the Spurs was the LEAST watched NBA Finals ever until the Spurs played Cleveland 3 years ago (yes, safe to blame San Antonio for this, too).

Going from a star-studded teams of the early 2000s, NJ unloaded a whole slew of talent to get as bad as they are today. That would mean their salary caps leaves a lot of room to pick up what many purists believe to be the deepest free agency market - ever. There are only 3 major NBA world city: LA, NY, and Boston. The powers that be is not lost with David Stern especially now that the NBA's international popularity have a good foothold. He knows the league have a great chance to higher commercial levels if only the pieces in the puzzle can come together. An owner from Moscow, with a ton of willing dollars to spend, adds a totally new and promising ingredient to the league.

Nike. LeBron/Bosh (Kievstar, Wade won't be a good fit since LeBron is a natural 2 guard). Brooklyn. New Billionnaire Owner. Barclays Center.

The Russians had arrived.

[JohnDearGreen]

...and he is also starting a new political party.   President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Russia needs more political competition, but...


http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/news/story?id=6703288
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20110627/164870942.html

[Gator]

...and he is also starting a new political party.   President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday that Russia needs more political competition, but...

Yes, BUT......Mikhail Khodorkovsky attempted that IIRC.

[tfcrew]

I'm not a basketball fan, but from what I understand the team is moving to Brooklyn as soon as an arena is built.

The Dodgers started in Brooklyn and became victims of their own success.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebbets_Field
 
Now look at them...[though they are stomping the Twins 14-0 as I write]
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dodgers/2011/06/dodgers-clubhouse-reacts-to-news-of-bankruptcy-filing.html

I saw where Ebbets used to be...all apartments now.
 So an arena where?