WOJ: Nets have "transformed rival owners/front office execs into an angry mob of disbelievers."

The NBA‘s worst fears are coming to fruition as Mikhail Prokhorov is taking them by storm and building a champion in Brooklyn…… his way.

First the big trade with the Boston Celtics, which should be finalized today, and now the absolute coup of a signing of fellow Russian star Andrei Kirilenko after their other European wingman Bojan Bogdanovic was not able to agree on a buyout from Fenerbahçe on Wednesday.

The Nets looked to be in trouble with the Bogdanovic news as the free agent market has dried up and most quality small forwards have already been signed but out of the blue Plan B came to the Nets rescue.  Kirilenko, who made about $10 million last year playing with the Minnesota Timberwolves, made a gutsy decision to accept the taxpayers’ mid-level exception of $3.18 million per season to play for the Brooklyn Nets.

The Russian billionaire owner is being downright accused by rival NBA teams executives of foul play with tweets and text messages all over the place.

[quote_simple]Yahoo Sports

Only this time, the rest of the NBA believes the Nets have gone too far, delivering the league into an unfiltered rage. The signing of Russian free agent Andrei Kirilenko – a $10 million-a-year player last season – for Brooklyn’s $3.1 mini-midlevel exception has transformed rival owners and front office executives into an angry mob of disbelievers.

The insinuations are unmistakable: Around the NBA, there are calls for the commissioner’s office to investigate the possibilities of side deals and Russian rubles ruling the day – for now, unfounded charges based on circumstance and appearances.

 “Brazen,” one Western Conference GM told Yahoo! Sports.

Mikhail Prokhorov has shown little concern for the NBA’s hefty luxury-tax penalties. (USA Today Sports)”Let’s see if the league has any credibility,” one NBA owner told Yahoo! Sports. “It’s not about stopping it. It’s about punishing them if they’re doing it.”

Another Eastern Conference GM: “There should be a probe. How obvious is it?”

 It is easy to make the accusations, but harder to prove that Prokhorov and his management did anything but a solid sales job after the free-agent market had dried up on Kirilenko. When it comes to uninhibited spending and free-agent coups, the modern NBA has a long list of targets. Understand something else, too: Plenty of American-born owners, running respected franchises, have come under these suspicions, too. Charges of side deals didn’t start with Prokhorov and won’t end with him.[/quote_simple]

It doesn’t seem to be enough that an young new owner wants to win so badly that he will spend $101 million on salaries and close to $82 million in luxury tax of his own money to win a championship.  There must be something going on behind the scenes in a shady way.

It is pretty sad that when teams that are built to win now can’t just have guys who want to WIN and accept less money for it.

Example being the Miami Heat when the Big Three came together as words like “collusion and foul play ” were bantered about.  Sometimes it is as simple as a will to win after playing in the league and making enough money.

I laugh at all of the criticism that is being heaped the Nets was as jealousy and insecurity has ruled NBA front offices for years.

You go get yourself a championship Mikhail and I will be standing there proud to report on it and enjoy it every step of the way.  #HELLOAK47