Do you know how Russian oligarchs buy NBA team? They read that they bought the team, which is not true, get aggravated and buy the damn team. At least, that's what happened to Mikhail Prokhorov a few weeks ago.

Mr. Prokhorov, 44, currently Russia's richest man, explains in his LiveJournal blog how he decided to by the New Jersey Nets for $200 million dollars. "I learned that I am involved in the Nets purchase from newspaper reports. Imagine my surprise when, few days following the publication, the Nets owners approached me with the offer [to buy the team]!"

In other words, Ian Thomsen, who first broke the story on the Sports Illustrated blog, came up with a bogus, absolutely groundless rumor of some oligarch buying an NBA club. The rumor was almost ignored by the US media and barely reported in Russia. Prokhorov, however, issued a statement denying his plans to buy Nets. But the Nets owners liked the idea so much that they surprised Prokhorov with a $200 million offer, and Prokhorov accepted almost immediately.

It does sound a little fishy. But we choose to believe Mr. Prokhorov. We like to believe that a newspaper rumor can trick a mogul into buying something. By the way, did we mention that Rupert Murdoch is buying RUSSIA! magazine?

Previous Coverage

Congressman Wants to Investigate Nets Sale

Partisans for Prostitutes