Billionaire Nets Owner Says $144 Million Loss Is Pocket Change, Rips Ex-Coach Jason Kidd
The Russian oligarch has been criticized for being an absentee owner while his team disappointed on the court and lost $144 million in 2013-2014. He addressed those concerns, as well as the abrupt offseason departure of coach Jason Kidd, in a pregame news conference on Monday.
He did it in classic Prokhorov fashion.
When asked about the $144 million loss, he told reporters: "It's not a big deal, because I personally compensate this money from my pocket."
Pocket change!
The Nets $144 million loss is extraordinary. According to Grantland's Zach Lowe, nine NBA teams claimed to lose money in 2013-2014. The team with the second-biggest losses, the Washington Wizards, lost $13 million. Much of that Nets loss came from the $90 million in luxury taxes the team had to pay because of its exorbitant payroll.
The best Prokhorov quote came when he talked about Jason Kidd, who quit the Nets and joined the Bucks over the summer.
Prokhorov told ESPN:
I think there is a nice proverb in English: Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord has split you. So I think that each side, we did what we thought was the best and I like what we have now.
Below is the tremendous video of Prokhorov saying, "Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord has split you."