Lebron, Meet Mikhail Prokhorov

Adrian Wojnarowski checks in today with a comprehensive piece looking toward 2010 free agency and beyond. Namely, what effect will Mikhail Prokhorov have on Lebron James, specifically, and NBA free agents, in general?

Once LeBron James(notes) meets Mikhail Prokhorov, the superstar’s sightline will reflect an unprecedented visage. When offering a global vision of business and basketball, here’s an NBA owner who can look James in the eyes. Russia’s richest man is 6-foot-7 with an air of cool and a tenacity of the streets. [...]

“He has the personality, the charisma and the wherewithal to reach any of the league’s young stars on a level that I don’t think other owners can,” David Vanterpool said by phone Wednesday. “He likes to go out. He likes to fly to Europe and go to the most exclusive resorts. He’s going to connect with these guys."

And then there's this from Woj. A concession to the recession, if you will:

For whatever wink-wink that comes with suggesting that Prokhorov made his fortune as simply a “banker and mining executive,” there’s a grudging acceptance that he’s the future of the NBA. Someone had to get the Nets to Brooklyn, and if it took $700 million of funny money, most of Stern’s bottom-feeder owners couldn’t care less. When no one is looking, most of the NBA Board of Governors will be pestering Prokhorov for jet rides from Russia, with love.

Which is part of what makes this whole scenario so fascinating. The economic calamity that's enveloped just about every aspect of American life has created a window for a guy like Prokhorov to finagle his way into an NBA franchise. Forget his background as a businessman, because this is a business, mannn. And it's failing a business for a shocking amount of NBA teams--infusing one of those teams with endless capital and an enthusiastic owner is a no-brainer, regardless of whether that man's capital gains have been partially ill-gotten.

Moreover, I think Wojnarowski and Vanterpool are spot-on in their assessment. In Prokhorov, players won't see a faceless foreigner, but something of a kindred spirit. Someone who has beaten the odds to collect his billions, and if reports are correct, isn't afraid to celebrate with lavish parties and scores of Russian prostitutes. Like Mark Cuban, only cooler, significantly wealthier, and surrounded by Russian women. Think players will have trouble embracing him?

Whatever your take on Mikhail Prokhorov, you have to admit: the New Jersey Nets just got a lot more interesting. And with a move to Brooklyn imminent and Lebron James on the horizon, the whole league's going to be paying attention to Mikhail Prokhorov. If some of the profiles on him are accurate, I imagine we're in for a quite a show.