Mikhail Prokhorov arrived in London early Friday from Venezuela, opened a Russian cultural festival with Mayor Boris Johnson, then talked basketball and his pursuit of Deron Williams. Noting he and D-Will have already spoken, he said he's looking forward to speaking to him again in London. "But from that first meeting, we have a lot in common. He wants to be No. 1, we want to be No. 1. We are on the same page. That is very important."
The Nets owner said that he is "very happy" with the acquisition, adding "he is not the first step, he is the second step. We have a winning coach, we have a very strong front office. We changed the environment a lot. We are underdogs but we are underdogs with talent."
In a separate interview with NBA TV, Billy King said the Nets are going to "try to fulfill his dreams" referring to Williams.
Prokhorov is the big reason the Nets are playing in the London Games. It's part of his plan to re-create the Nets as a global team and make his top talent international superstars..."the king of the world. The first really global basketball player" as he told Darren Rovell last week.
- Owner sells Deron Williams on Nets - Ian Whittell - ESPN New York
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Arena Link: Billy King (Video) - NBA.com
- Prokhorov in London (Video) - NBA.com
- Prokhorov on Prem League (Video) - NBA.com
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London Games News Conference (Video) - Marv Albert - NBA.com
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American Sports Played On Foreign Soil - Sports Illustrated
- London mayor, Russian tycoon launch pancake festival - RIA Novosti