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Kushchenko: “I cannot accept a position in the New Jersey Nets board.”

June 12, 2010

For Russian readers and creative Babel Fish users, Russia-based Tribuna Sports is running a nice interview with Sergey Kushchenko.

CSKA Moscow basketball and Brooklyn/New Jersey Nets enthusiasts surely recall Kushchenko as Mikhail Prokhorov’s team-running “basketball people” whilst the multimillionaire was owner of the Red Army.

Most immediately relevant for NBA followers and Prokhorov groupies is probably this exchange in the Q&A:

В чем будет заключаться ваша роль в «Нетс»?
Официально я считаюсь помощником Михаила Прохорова по спорту. Принять предложение войти в совет директоров я, естественно, не могу, потому что занимаюсь биатлоном, одним из важнейших для России видов спорта.

Essentially, when asked what his role might be with the Nets, Kushchenko answered that at present he’s considered an assistant to Prokhorov. He cannot accept any invitation to serve on the New Jersey Nets Basketball Inc. board of directors, citing his focus on restoring the scandal-marred Russian biathlon team – based on a 10-year business plan he created with … Mikhail Prokhorov.

When asked to define what made his success and the success of CSKA Moscow basketball possible, Kushchenko explained – groove on this, Nets nuts – that “a key principle is that the owners of any sports [franchise] should not interfere in what happens inside.”

Kushchenko goes on to tell the story of interacting with Prokhorov while Kushchenko was directing basketball operations at CSKA.

Apparently, Prokhorov’s attendance at his meeting with the CSKA Moscow board of directors resulted in just one question from the owner: “How will this club be developed?” Whereupon Kushchenko and the others presented their four-year plan; sure enough, Prokhorov did little more than look at financial statements and in year four, CSKA took the Euroleague title. Prokhorov never interfered with basketball transaction matters.

Sound too good to be true? Hey, that’s what it says here:

Ключевой принцип заключается в том, что владельцы любого спортивного проекта не должны вмешиваться в то, что происходит внутри. За это отвечает тандем тренер-менеджер, владелец же должен контролировать происходящее исключительно с точки зрения бизнеса. В свое время на заседании совета директоров баскетбольного ЦСКА Михаил Прохоров задал, по сути, только один вопрос: каким образом будет развиваться клуб. В ответ мы представили стратегию, детально расписанную на четыре года вперед. Нас выслушали, идею приняли и после этого на протяжении трех лет спрашивали только финансовые отчеты, а на четвертый год ЦСКА выиграл Евролигу. Все шло последовательно: проходил год, появлялись новые идеи, которые интегрировались в разработанную концепцию, и клуб двигался в выбранном направлении. За все это время Прохоров ни разу не стал вмешиваться в этот процесс – результат видят все.

Very nice time to be a New Jersey Nets fan, eh?

Jun 12, 2010ballineurope
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This post was published on June 12, 2010
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Comments: 1
  1. Jennifer Prokhorov
    12 years ago

    I think Mr. Prokhorov’s purchase of the Nets is based on his assessment of the team’s skills and real potential. Well organized work has remarkably little to report.

    ReplyCancel
Pingbacks: 1
  1. BallinEurope, the European Basketball news site » Blog Archive » Thorn-y situation for Mikhail Prokhorov as club president unexpectedly steps down
    13 years ago

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ballineurope
13 years ago 2 Comments More, NBA/NCAACSKA Moscow, EuroLeague, Mikhail Prokhorov, NBA, New Jersey Nets, Russia, Sergey Kushchenko
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