Re: [外電] Nets’ pursuit of LeBron: From Russi …

看板Nets (布魯克林籃網)作者NetsFan (心思活一點)時間16年前 (2009/09/25 21:35)推噓1(1推 0噓 0→)

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The NBA has become a recession-ridden league with owners slashing roster payrolls and front-office staff. Owners are begging for commissioner David Stern to crush the Players Association in collective bargaining with a bigger percentage of league revenue and perhaps even a hard salary cap. As long as these CBA rules are in place, Prokhorov can offer the New York stage with unlimited resources. Cablevision reached its spending breaking point with the New York Knicks, but the days of the Nets as a cash-strapped punch line are over. 由於現在大環境整個經濟衰退，NBA各個球隊的老闆已經朝著朝陣容還有制服組、教練團方面開刀以節省開支。各家老闆請求總裁大衛史騰打破球員工會的勞資雙方談判問題，還有目前嚴苛的薪資上限。只要目前的CBA規則就定位，Prokhorov 可以提供紐約地區幾乎無上限的資源。目前有線電視已經因為紐約尼克隊達到上限，但是籃網隊資金短缺的日子已經接近尾聲。 This Russian is liable to treat $70 million luxury-tax payments like drops in the Jersey Turnpike toll buckets. 這位俄羅斯人傾向將七千萬以上要付的豪華稅當做付高速公路的收費一樣。 “If he sees something as a reasonable, smart move, then money won’t be an issue,” Vanterpool said. “I don’t see the luxury tax affecting him. You’ re talking about a billionaire who will take a two-week vacation that ends up costing him $10 million. He’ll do whatever it takes to win, and win big.” Vanterpool 說："如果他只要將事情看到合理的，聰明的行動，那麼資金不會是個問題。我不認為現有的豪華稅會影響他的行動。你現在談論的億萬富翁是一個兩個禮拜的度假就花一千萬美金的人，他將會做出任何幫助球隊贏球的行動！" Prokhorov’s brashness doesn’t come in the basketball arena but in the clubs and fancy European resorts. Truth be told, they never noticed where the owner would sit in the arena most nights in Moscow and seldom witnessed him courting coverage with the cameras and notebooks. Prokhorov 的傲慢態度並不會在籃球場上出現，但會出現在俱樂部或是高檔的歐洲旅遊上。告訴一個事實，他們從不會發現這大老闆在大部分的夜晚會出現在莫斯科球場的哪一個地方，更少目擊到他出現在許多攝影機還有筆記型電腦出現的記者會上。 He far outspent other teams in Europe, won titles and now wants to do it on the biggest stage of all. He hired the best coach overseas and had payrolls bigger than some NBA teams. One NBA executive with strong Eastern European ties says to expect Russian and Lithuanian basketball legends Sarunas Marciulionis and Arvydas Sabonis to be included in a dramatically changed Nets organization. With CSKA, Prokhorov tried to hire Toronto Raptors assistant GM Maurizio Gherardini but was spurned. He could revisit the Italian executive for the Nets’ top job, and it wouldn’t be long until the NBA had its first foreign coach, Ettore Messina. 他在歐洲已經對他的球隊付出超出一般人想像，已經贏得了歐洲的總冠軍。現在他的目標放在等級最高的籃球殿堂。他過去在中央陸軍隊雇用了海外最好的教練，而且所花的錢比一些NBA球隊還要高。一個帶有濃厚東方歐洲色彩的NBA執行長官說，他預期俄羅斯還有立陶宛的傳奇名人 Sarunas Marciulionis 還有 Arvydas Sabonis 會被招入目前即將改變巨大的籃網隊。在中央陸軍隊的時候，Prokhorov 嘗試過要雇用報龍隊的助理GM: Maurizio Gherardini，但是卻失敗了。他現在可以再次拜訪這位義大利的執行長官來籃網做高官，而且直到NBA有第一個外籍教練並不會太久，而那個人是 Ettore Messina。 For now, Prokhorov would be wise to re-sign president Rod Thorn to an extension, and sources with knowledge of the Russian billionaire believe it’ s a distinct possibility. 但就目前而言，Prokhorov 如果將來和目前的籃網總裁 Rod Thorn續約才是明智之舉。而據消息而言，這位俄羅斯億萬富翁也認為這是很明確的。 Whatever happens, Prokhorov won’t be running the Nets like Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Prokhorov likes to hang with the players, but not so much in the locker room and huddles. He likes it in a social way, and so do they. It’s like running with James Bond, jets on a moment’s notice to the most exotic locations in the world. That’s how he lives, and that’s how they’ll roll. He can offer a superstar lifestyle that few would dare try in the public eye. 但不管將來會發生什麼，Prokhorov 不會像小牛隊老闆 Mark Cuban 那般對待球隊。 Prokhorov 喜歡和球員交心，但不會在球員休息室還有練習的時候給太多壓力。他喜歡用社交的方式和球員交心，所以他的球員也總是如此。這就像和詹姆士龐德一起跑步，飛往世界上最吸引人的幾個地方。這就是他的生活，他的作風。他敢提供像超級巨星一般的生活方式，而卻少有人趕在公眾這樣做。 The fact there are whispers about him would give him street cred with a lot of players. Mostly, players see owners as dopes to be stroked, but invading Brooklyn with the Russian boss and a stocked, bloated payroll could be a blast. 事實上，他會讓他隊上的球員對他有認同感。大多數，球員視老闆就像一點一滴的麻醉劑，但現在入侵布魯克林的俄羅斯老闆有著巨大的薪資總額，對他們來講可是影響很大。 Two years ago, Prokhorov was detained for four days as a material witness in an investigation into a prostitution ring at a French resort. He was never charged, but French authorities alleged someone was jetting prostitutes in and out of there. When his CKSA team traveled to the Euroleague championships, NBA executives marveled over the spillover of Prokhorov-supplied blondes and brunettes that turned the tournament locale into a remote Playboy Mansion. 兩年以前，Prokhorov以重要證人的身分因為一個調查案被拘留了四天，原因是在法國的一個渡假地區有賣淫集團，認為與他有關。他沒有被起訴，但是法國高層聲稱有某位人在那邊從事賣淫集團。當中央陸軍隊到歐洲聯盟進行總冠軍賽時，NBA的一些執行長官受不了 Prokhorov所提供的金髮美女還有一些黑皮膚美人，讓這個錦標賽的進行好像變成花花公子的娛樂天堂。 “Unlike anything you’ve ever seen in your life,” one Eastern Conference executive said. “They flooded the hotel. But the [NBA office’s] international people know all about it. They were staying there, too.” 一位東區聯盟的執行長說："這是在你生活當中很難看到的，他們將整個飯店都當成自個兒的娛樂天地。但是NBA中一些來自國際的高官都知道此事，因為他們也都在那兒。" Said a Western Conference official, “Stern will have to put 24 hour guards around this guy’s castle. Unless this guy completely divorces himself from his lifestyle over there, he’s going to have a little trouble assimilating. I mean, we do have some rules over here. … But damn, he’s got more money than anyone here, and that’s going to win out.” 來自西區聯盟的某位官方代表："史騰即將放二十四小時的保鏢圍繞著這個人的城堡。除非這個人想脫離這邊的生活型態，那麼他將有一些適應的問題。我的意思是，我們在美國是有一些規矩的，但是，媽的，他比這裡的一些人還要更有財力，這也是他可以改變文化的重要原因。" 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. 不管這位神祕的老闆視如何改變他的命運，不僅僅是個銀行家或是賺錢的執行長，雖然會讓有些人難以接受，但他就會是未來的NBA掌控者之一。有人要將籃網送到布魯克林，如果他將付出七億美金來贊助此計畫，那麼史騰和一些人將不會管他在其他方面的道德瑕疵。當沒有人管這些事情，大部分NBA的長官將會煩惱 Prokhorov 從俄羅斯帶回來的東西。 “I guarantee you that some of the owners in our league who are desperate to sell were on the phone with Stern today looking for other foreign owners with deep pockets,” one team president said Wednesday. 有一個球隊的總裁昨天這樣說："我敢跟你們保證，在我們聯盟當中有許多老闆已經不想在花錢的，昨天和史騰已經通過電話，想要找一些錢包夠厚的外籍老版。" LeBron James used Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert’s connections to get him into the prestigious Allen & Company billionaire conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, this summer, a gathering of 260 of America’s richest and most powerful people. As much as James wants to win championships, he also wants an unprecedented global brand. There’s still a good chance that he’ll pursue it with his hometown Cavaliers, but the odds tilted a touch on Wednesday, when a $9 billion man pledged $700 million to a fledgling NBA franchise. LeBron 透過克里夫蘭老闆 Dan Gilbert的關係讓他進入在Sun Valley的 Allen & Company 億萬富翁的論壇。在這個夏天，那邊聚集了兩百六十位美國最有錢還有影響力的人，就在詹姆斯想要贏得總冠軍的同時，他也很希望成為前所未有全球化的籃球品牌，當然他還是有很大的機會和自己的家鄉球隊一起為這個目標打拼，但就在星期三這個可能性有點傾斜了，就當這九十億美金還有七億美金即將注入一支NBA球隊的同時。 One of these days, Mikhail Prokhorov could get his audience with LeBron and other NBA stars, and tempt them with unprecedented resources and possibilities. Historic player meets historic owner, gaze into each other’s eyes and they’re liable to concoct the most historic partnership of all. 在最近某一天，Prokhorov 可以請 LeBron 或是其他的球星來當做他們的聽眾，給他們享之不盡的資源還有機會。偉大的球員和偉大的老闆碰面，彼此注視，他們有辦法連接出最有意義的夥伴關係。 As the Nets bled money, as the move to Brooklyn seemed a bleaker proposition, it felt like Cleveland could exhale. Suddenly, the game changes and here comes this charismatic and charming and murky Russian rolling out of his jet with basketball’s deepest pockets and a gripping global pitch. 就當籃網缺少財力的時候，搬到布魯克林的行為看起來是沒有希望的提案，這讓克里夫蘭可以嘆口氣。但一瞬間，遊戲的局面改變了，突然來了這位有魅力、迷人、而且神祕的俄羅斯人從他的噴射機走了出來，帶著籃球界中最深厚的口袋，以及最扣人心弦的全球化眼光。 Here comes trouble for everyone. Here comes tomorrow. 他的到來即將改變NBA的生態，或許他將是某些人的眼中釘。 -- ※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc) ◆ From: 114.43.234.60