The Nets finally have a power player.

Mikhail Prokhorov will run for President of Russia in a direct challenge to Vladimir Putin. The election is March 4. The Nets principal owner told a press conference Monday afternoon that "I have made a decision. I am taking part in the presidential elections." He's running as an independent.

Prokhorov also told a news conference that he had not asked for the Kremlin's permission, nor had he spoken with Putin or current Russian president Dmitry Medvedev about his intentions. Moscow has been racked by massive demonstrations since last weekend's parliamentary elections in which Putin and Medvedev's party barely held on to its majority.

Prokhorov, of course, was forced out of the leadership of Right Cause, a liberal, pro-business party, over the summer when he proved too independent. Prokhorov owns the Nets through an American company, Onexim Sports & Entertainment, which is unaffiliated with the similarly named Moscow-based Onexim Group.

• Billionaire to Oppose Putin in Russian Presidential Election - Ellen Barry & David Herszenhorn - New York Times
• Billionaire Prokhorov to Challenge Putin in Kremlin Race - Ilya Khrennikov & Lyubov Pronina - Bloomberg News
  
• Russian tycoon to compete with Putin in election - AP
  
• Tycoon Prokhorov to Run for President - Moscow Times
• Billionaire Prokhorov to run for president, pledges to create new party - RIA Novosti
  
• Russia billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov to challenge Putin - BBC
• Russian tycoon launches Kremlin bid - Agence France Presse
• Billionaire New Jersey Nets owner challenges Putin to Russia presidency - MSNBC
  
• Mikhail Prokhorov Wants To Be The Next Russian Strongman - Barry Petchesky - Deadspin
• Vladimir Putin faces new challenger in Russian presidential race - Steve Gutterman - Christian Science Monitor
• Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov announces run for president of Russia - Corky Siemnaszko - New York Daily News
• Nets tycoon Mikhail Prokhorov to run for Russian presidency - New York Post