Champion Creed-Chapter 956 - 312: You and I have at least one common goal (ask for monthly votes!)_4

But as Roger dribbled, he suddenly made a nutmeg maneuver against Prokhorov! In the hands of an athlete like Roger, the basketball felt like an extension of his body, controlled effortlessly!

When the Russian oligarch realized what had happened and tried to chase back, Roger already had the ball from behind him, jumped up, and completed a backward layup.

After landing, Roger adjusted his tie: "You’re pretty good, sir."

Mikhail Prokhorov laughed heartily and applauded; he enjoyed Roger’s arrogant style.

Men who play competitive sports don’t need to be timid, overly modest.

"Shall we continue?"

"Come on, Roger, I don’t want to lose basketball as a hobby from now on. I have to admit, this is the most painful beating I’ve received in the United States."

"I heard you usually train in free fighting?"

Prokhorov’s face immediately changed: "Hey, I definitely can’t compete with you on that!"

After just one round of play, Prokhorov took Roger and Fleisher to his office.

He spoke more openly than James Dolan, getting straight to the point.

"For the investment in a basketball team, I can spare no expense. Moreover, I can build the team according to your wishes, just like Ted. As long as we win games, I don’t care about anything else. If you join, I’m willing to provide you with everything."

Prokhorov probably realized his words sounded a bit exaggerated, knowing that only the so-called love for basketball cannot justify sparing no expense. To convince Roger of his crazy statement, he pointed to the Bay Area map in the office.

"See it? Although Oakland and San Francisco are just a bridge apart, their commercial value is worlds apart. To be honest with you, Roger, my true aim in buying the Warriors was to break into the American business circle, and my promise to build a stadium in San Francisco is not for charity. Two years later, the team moves to San Francisco, and the real estate and shopping centers surrounding the new arena will all be my assets. And a world-renowned Warriors team can help boost the surrounding industries.

In other words, the entire Golden State Warriors are just a part of my investment; I don’t rely on the Warriors to make money, so I don’t care about team costs, team profits, or team control. That’s why, as long as you can make the Warriors win championships, many championships, make the Warriors as great as the Hawks, I won’t care about anything else.

I don’t have time to manage the team, but I fully trust you and your team, believing successful people are always right. So, I can give you a lot of authority.

In San Francisco, you can freely be a privileged player."

Now Roger finally understood why Prokhorov allowed Billy King, such a fool, to mess around with his team.

Because the team was merely a stepping stone to his larger business scheme.

In essence, Prokhorov was still running the team with a business mindset, not the so-called love that people imagine.

But he didn’t directly profit from the Warriors, which distinguished him from most other team owners.

In the original timeline, Billy King actually completed his work to some extent; the multi-star lineup he built indeed made the Nets extremely popular during those years, rapidly boosting the industry value around Barclays Center.

Many people thought Prokhorov ended up leaving the NBA with his tail between his legs, but in fact, he took away tens of billions of dollars in profit, with all surrounding industries thriving.

Actually, if it weren’t for sensitive political reasons during that period, he wouldn’t have sold the Nets team at all.

The Nets failed in terms of performance, but Prokhorov himself wasn’t really at fault because he didn’t directly manage the team, only provided funding. But this also indirectly proved that Prokhorov is a boss who is willing to delegate authority.

So, if you replace Billy King, that idiot, with a reliable general manager, would Prokhorov’s team succeed?

While Roger processed these thoughts, the tall Prokhorov leaned on the table with both hands: "In the end, you and I have at least one common goal—to win at all costs!"

Eric Fleisher didn’t even need to ask that most important question, because the Russian had said at the very start of the negotiation: "I can spare no expense, I can build the team according to your wishes, just like Ted. As long as we win games, I don’t care about anything else."

In the whole history of the NBA, how many owners would do this?

A big city, a sole owner, with a strong determination to win...

In this Russian blini, there does seem to be filling.

Afterward, both parties discussed many details.

That afternoon, Mikhail Prokhorov attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new team arena.

Facing a barrage of reporters, the Russian seemed in great spirits, as if he had just closed a major deal.

Wearing a safety helmet, he made a joke to all reporters.

"Hey friends, don’t look so serious, and don’t be nervous. I know I’m the first foreign owner to get a franchise in the NBA, but are you really worried that a Russian could conquer the American basketball scene?"

Reflecting on the delightful negotiation that afternoon, Mikhail Prokhorov laughed even brighter.

A Russian might not be able to conquer the United States.

But what if it’s a Chinese and a Russian together?

He was really looking forward to seeing the expressions of all American fans and team owners when the news came out.

That would certainly be a delightful image that words couldn’t describe.