Mikhail Prokhorov On His New Look Nets: “I Have Done What I Can” & “I Am a Man of Results”

Mikhail Prokhorov might be the closest thing the NBA has to an owner who can compete with Chuck Norris levels of hyperbole. The Russian billionaire laughs in the face of $80 million in luxury taxes for his new team, and says he feels no pressure because “I’ve done what I can,” reports the New York Post.

Prokhorov’s bombast was evident when he once joked that he would get married if the Nets didn’t win an NBA Championship by the year 2015. The billionaire bachelor is not planning on getting married anytime soon, either. He joked during Thursday’s press conference announcing the addition of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry:

I can assure you that no process for the time being [of] looking for a wife is under way. This is for sure.

Prokhorov also said he’s not feeling any pressure after adding Boston’s biggest stars, plus free agent Andrei Kirilenko amid whispers of collusion with the Russian forward. This after locking up Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez and Deron Williams last summer.

About those Kirilenko rumors, Prohorov was clear:

Old stereotypes, they’re very hard to beat and to break. I respect all the NBA rules and we play by the NBA rules. But I want just to stress again like with [the] luxury tax, I will do whatever I can in order to win [a] championship, but under the NBA rules. Please make no mistake about this.

Prokhorov doesn’t mess around, and he’s been clear that it is no longer up to him to bring a championship to Brooklyn; it’s on the players that he, and GM Billy King, have acquired to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

“I have done what I can. Now I think it is high time for the team to do the rest,” he said, deadpan…

“When I bought the team, I promised to create a championship contender, a team worthy of Brooklyn,” said Prokhorov. “I’ll be proud when we win the championship. I am not a man of procedure. I am a man of results.”

[h/t: PBT]

Do you think Prohorov’s Nets will win a title in the five-year window he gave them and himself?

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