In speaking with reporters at halftime of the Brooklyn Nets-Charlotte Bobcats game, Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov noted that the decision to fire coach Avery Johnson had been a long time coming.
I made the final decision last week,” Prokhorov said amidst a scrum of two dozen reporters at Barclays Center. “I spoke with (Nets GM) Billy King, we had a discussion, but in the end, it was my decision.”
Candid and humorous for most of the eight-minute press conference, Prokhorov seemed most disappointed when talking about the team’s recent slide. “I think we have very talented players, but they are capable of much more. From what we have seen in the recent weeks, this is totally unacceptable.”
Prokhorov, who was heli-skiing in British Columbia (because of course he was), cut his vacation short to deal with the Nets’ current problems. Johnson was his first head coaching hire, and is now his first fire.
Prokhorov stressed that he has not spoken with players yet, and that Johnson’s firing was his call. “I made my own analysis. I think that Brook (Lopez)’s injury was a catalyst, but really we have a very talented team. Look, we have a basket of talent. For the time being, if we put everything together, we see that we need better results.”
As far as what those results are, Prokhorov made it clear what he was looking for.
“Just to win a championship. it’s very simple. … No more. we’re only human beings, you know.”
