The Times calls Mikhail Prokhorov's purchase of the Nets "maybe the most anticipated ownership change in NBA history." It likens him to "a Bond villain, or a double agent in a Tom Clancy novel", noting "NetsDaily has dubbed him 'the Most Interesting Man in the World,' after the suave fellow in the beer commercials." (Shameless plug).
But Howard Beck warns it's not just about money, free agency signings, player amenities, or coaches, team psychologists or the best development tools. They all matter, as Mark Cuban tells Beck, but it's also about personality...his personality...and how he uses it to the shape the franchise.
"If Mikhail’s personality matches his wallet and he is available to Nets fans," says Cuban. "They will love him and come to the games in droves. If he stays in Russia and flies in every now and then, they will target him as the reason for any problems."
Still, all signs point to Prokhorov understanding that. Certainly, his 13-year tenure as owner of CSKA Moscow does. As Ettore Messina, his long time coach tells Beck, ""When I got there, I saw a club that was run like one of the best organizations I ever saw in my life."
