Just as he has with other teams pursuing LeBron James, Chad Ford lays out the recruiting pitch Mikhail Prokhorov, Rod Thorn (and Jay-Z) will use on July 1 to woo the league's reigning MVP.
It starts with Prokhorov, writes Ford quoting a Nets source. Bottom line: "The Nets are about to go big-time." Ford explains the global identity Prokhorov can bring to the Nets--and its star, adding, again quoting his source, "I think Prokhorov can do that for LeBron in a way no other owner can."
Beyond the billionaire owner, there's his pal Jay-Z and three other pluses: "a strong, young supporting cast"; "Avery Johnson is a winner"; and "Brooklyn is your future home", Ford quotes the Nets source. The running theme throughout the pitch is that the Nets will not take a back seat to the Knicks any longer.
"If New York City is LeBron's chosen destination," writes Ford, "Brooklyn offers access to much the same marketing opportunities, business possibilities and cultural life as Manhattan, as the Nets will point out. So while they may not have the same history and cachet as the Knicks, the Nets will offer a similar future."