The Brooklyn Nets held a press conference Thursday to welcome Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry to the team. During the event, Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov explained his decision to hire Jason Kidd as his team's head coach just 10 days after the veteran point guard announced his retirement from playing.
Mikhail Prokhorov likens Jason Kidd hire to ‘Top Gun’
The eccentric owner referenced an ‘80s movie when explaining his latest coaching hire.
Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports
“There are players in the NBA which display the ability to coach when they play,” Prokhorov said. “In terms of leadership, in terms of guiding play and in terms of motivating their playmates. So and Jason Kidd was that kind of a player.”
Clad in a white Nets t-shirt, a black sportscoat, and blue jeans, the Russian billionaire continued his explanation.
“Maybe you do remember a film, Top Gun,” Prokhorov said. “This film just arrived in Russia one week ago. I want to refresh your memory. Tom Cruise plays Maverick, and he was a top pilot, he was a real leader. At the end of the day he made decision to be an instructor because it was the highest value just to be a leader.”
Left unsaid is that Kidd played two stints with the Dallas Mavericks, winning a championship with them in 2011.
We don’t yet know whether Kidd can mirror the leadership of Cruise’s Top Gun character, but one thing is certain: if he can’t lead Brooklyn to a title, then the Nets are headed down a highway to the luxury-tax danger zone. As NetsDaily noted, Prokhorov will pay an estimated $80 million in tax penalties alone for his new superteam.
More from SB Nation:
See More:
