Wall Street Journal
LeBron James has reportedly been apartment hunting in Manhattan. But for the city’s real estate brokers, there may be a bigger client on the market.
As The Journal’s Craig Karmin reports, New York real estate brokers are drooling over the prospect of showing palatial pads to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, 45, the owner of the New Jersey Nets.
The Russian billionaire has made his presence known in Brooklyn as well–albeit in a different way. His firm invested $200 million in the Atlantic Yards development project, which includes the stadium the Nets expect to call home in 2012.
link
via nolandgrab.org
anything to keep the masses happy... even stealing property
Nets majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov can be a friendly, charming guy, sure, and he's offering (with the help of Jay-Z and, oh, lots of public assistance) free agent LeBron James big bucks, but check his reaction at the draft lottery to see the steel.
And notice how the picture of Prokhorov with President Barack Obama, appearing on the Nets web site, sure looks like it's being used, despite a ban, "in any commercial or political materials... that in any way suggests approval or endorsement of the President, the First Family, or the White House."
(Click on graphics to enlarge)
Apparently they talked basketball, but there's no sign Prokhorov thanked Obama for some 4150 million in federal tax breaks for the Atlantic Yards arena.
The opening page to NJNets.com
At the draft lottery May 18
