Avery Johnson interviewed for four jobs before taking te Nets' job: the Hornets, Bulls, Hawks and 76ers, the first three playoff teams. He didn't get any of those jobs but tells Yahoo's Marc J. Spears he's happy with both the challenge of  the Nets and the support of their billionaire Russian owner, Mikhail Prokhorov.

He understands it's going to take some time...and a lot of patience. Still, he likes what he sees going forward. "The Nets are doing everything on a first-, first-, first-, first-class basis. And we’ve just begun."  In particular, he is hopeful about Brooklyn, where he says the Nets will be the "the only game in town". 

Until then, "In terms of growing something from the ground up," Johnson said, "it’s a fascinating challenge for me."

• Johnson embraces challenge in N.J. - Marc J. Spears - Yahoo! Sports