Like Cleveland Cavalier's owner Dan Gilbert, Mikhail Prokhorov and the New Jersey Nets also lost out in the LeBron James sweepstakes. The Russian oligarch, though, has a much different perspective on "The Decision."
Prokhorov released his own letter about the assembly of the "Three Kings" in South Beach, and he's excited about it.
While his assessment of the situation may reflect the nature of European club sports, where building "superteams" like Chelsea F.C., Real Madrid, and F.C. Barcelona is the norm, it is perhaps most interesting that Prokhorov considers the Miami move a turning point in the NBA; a "new dynamic," as he says.
The true highlight, though, is when Prokhorov claims to be excited about having his Nets defeat the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals — but probably not next year.
The letter can be seen in full below.
The players are signed, the "Decision" is made, but the passions around this year’s extraordinary class of NBA free agents refuses to die down. What surprises me is the amount of negative commentary directed at the three top free agents (especially LeBron James) who decided to play on the same team and to create a great franchise together. Of course, any club owner dreams of having those players, including me, but all questions of how the announcements were made aside, I respect their choice, and no one has the right to judge them.
I want to say that I support LeBron, the best athlete in the NBA. He had a truly difficult choice to make. Any move he made was sure to be viewed as wrong, and to leave many unhappy fans. Basing his decision on achieving results on the basketball court shows that the sportsman won the day, not the showman or the businessman. What is wrong with that?
We are seeing the birth of a new, dynamic team with such star players, and all of us can await the new season with great anticipation. I wish them success and give them my moral support. I will be happy for us to beat the Miami Heat in the conference finals, maybe not this season, but in the very near future.
Mikhail Prokhorov; Moscow
