After London trip, Mikhail Prokhorov more convinced than ever he made the right decison hiring Jason Kidd

Mikhail Prokhorov returned to Moscow more convinced than ever that he made the right decision in hiring Jason Kidd, telling one confidante Sunday morning that he believes Kidd will be a "great coach." emphasizing "great," and that he behaves "like a boss."

Prokhorov was on hand in London for the NBA Global Games where he watched Kidd's Nets dismantle the Hawks, winning 127-110 in a game that quickly turned into a blowout in the second half.He returned to Moscow Friday.

"My instincts in hiring him were right," the Nets owner told the person, who relayed the conversation to NetsDaily.  "He’s going to be a great coach.  He’s another person since he started.  He’s the real boss now and behaves like a boss."

Prokhorov spoke in English and specifically used the word, "great," said the confidante.

Prokhorov and his No. 2, Dmitry Razumov, were instrumental in convincing Billy King that Kidd was right for the job despite his lack of coaching experience at any level.  Early in the season, as the Nets struggled, national and beat writers speculated that Prokhorov could dump Kidd, but Prokhorov said this week Kidd was never in danger. Sunday's comment reinforced what he had told writers in London before the game.

"I'm realistic in sports," he said then. "We have a lot of new players. We have unfortunately a lot of injuries, so it's not an excuse. But what, for me, is important is what was atmosphere of the team. It was positive, it was full support for Jason Kidd. That means, like, we need to wait."

He also revealed that at one point he called Kidd to give him a pep talk, quoting a Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov, as saying, "Never read Soviet papers before breakfast." Kidd was asked what it meant to get a phone call from Prokhorov telling him not to worry about critics. "I didn't know I had critics," deadpanned Kidd, who added, "Mikhail is the best. He has a great sense of humor, but he wants to win."

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