HoopsHype.com Rumors

In an extensive interview with a Russian business magazine, Irina Pavlova says that while the Nets aren't making money (yet), the value of the team is now between $700 and $800 million, up from the $220 million Mikhail Prokhorov laid out in 2010. "When we bought the team, player salaries were much lower," Pavlova told Finparty. "We know that it is virtually impossible for the team to earn (a profit) annually. This can be done only by selling it. Since our move to Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Nets value has increased by 2.5 to 3 times. The (original) deal was estimated at $220 million, now it is worth $ 700-800 million. Forbes recently estimated us at $ 530 million, but it's has since been announced that the Sacramento Kings could be sold at a price above $ 500 million." NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov, Owners, Irina Pavlova 

Pavlova declined comment when asked if Prokhorov might be interested in buying the remainder of the team --he owns 80 percent of the team as well as 45 percent of the arena operating company. "This question should be addressed to Mikhail Dmitrievich, but I do not see much point in it. Mr. Prokhorov is the principal owner of the team, and he controls it." NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov, Owners, Irina Pavlova 

Asked if she believes in Prokhorov's vision of a championship by 2015, she responded, "Yes, I believe. I am obliged to do it by position, but as a fan I too believe," she told reporter Guzel Gubeydullina. "Mikhail made a promise in 2010, so we have two more years. This year we go to the playoffs, so I think it's all real. Here, of course, a lot of components - health, injury, an element of luck. But this goal is achievable." NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov, Owners, Irina Pavlova 

Net Daily: Told neither Billy King nor Bobby Marks will be in HOU for All-Star Game. Irina Pavlova will rep #Nets at Board of Govs. AND Brook Lopez! Twitter @NetsDaily

Brooklyn Nets, Billy King, Brook Lopez, Irina Pavlova 

The Nets will be represented up front on stage by Irina Pavlova, the president of owner Mikhail Prokhorov’s Onexim Sports and Entertainment USA. Milton Lee, the Nets GM for Minor League Operations, will be in the back room. GM Billy King should be sitting in the audience, ready to cuss out the whole process if the Nets land out of the top three. New York Post

Brooklyn Nets, Draft, Mikhail Prokhorov, Billy King, Irina Pavlova 

Prokhorov, who hasn’t attended a Nets game in almost a year, downplayed any change in his ownership duties as status quo. After holding his famous Carmelo Anthony press conference during a three-game homestretch in January of last year, Prokhorov has not made an appearance at the Rock — apologizing in a statement for not coming to the home opener last month. “Even now I’m more on the strategy side than the day-to-day routine and I never interfere in my manager’s job,” he told Reuters. In addition to GM Billy King and Avery Johnson, Prokhorov has two business associates — Irina Pavlova and Christophe Charlier —overseeing the Nets' day-to-day operation. New York Daily News

Brooklyn Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov, Billy King, Russia, Irina Pavlova 

If real estate mogul Bruce Ratner and Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov are the faces of the New York-bound basketball franchise, Gilmartin and Irina Pavlova are the feet on the ground, clearing the way. As EVP of Forest City Ratner Companies, Gilmartin manages development of the near $1 billion arena, which anchors the larger $4.9 billion, 22-acre Atlantic Yards project in the heart of Brooklyn. Pavlova represents the interests of Prokhorov, the minority owner of the arena and majority owner of the Nets, its major tenant. Together, they are changing the landscape of the borough and female power players in the business of sports. Forbes.com

Brooklyn Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov, Brooklyn, Irina Pavlova, MaryAnne Gilmartin 

Spearheading the excitement over the 18,000-seat arena, Pavlova, 41, gets a live video feed of construction on her desktop and gushes that she cheers so hard at Nets’ home games she loses her voice. The Russian-American has dual citizenship, speaks five languages (with varying levels of fluency) and has worked all over the world. She started her career at Prudential in New York, and in 2005 launched the Moscow office of Google. In 2010, the chief executive of Onexim, Prokhorov’s company, told Pavlova over a casual dinner about a little deal with an American team, and asked if she’d be interested in “keeping an eye on things” in the States. “I don’t know a thing about basketball,” she said, but soon agreed. And she learned quick. “It took me a few months to get my hands around the business and get comfortable with how things work,” Pavlova says with a subtle accent. “I’ve learned it’s tickets, sponsorships and suite sales. It’s not rocket science.” Forbes.com

Brooklyn Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov, Brooklyn, Irina Pavlova, MaryAnne Gilmartin 

Both women insist that construction and ticket sales are on schedule for the 2012-2013 season. Half of the 100 suites have been sold, and Pavlova says the Nets are steadily gaining Brooklynites while holding on to much of the core New Jersey base. The steel frame is 92% erected, the weathered-steel façade panels are going up, risers are in place and a new transit entrance for nine subway lines and the Long Island Rail Road is underway. The roof will be finished in the first quarter of 2012, allowing the interior work to begin. “When you announce the first concert,” says Gilmartin, “you had better be prepared to open.” Beyond basketball, the venue will host 200 events annually, kicking off with a Jay-Z concert on Sept. 28. “He’s the best spokesperson that you can have,” Pavlova says of Jay-Z, a minority Nets stakeholder who this year announced the team’s name change. “He is a Brooklyn icon. Having him on board has been a huge positive.” Forbes.com

Brooklyn Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov, Brooklyn, Irina Pavlova, MaryAnne Gilmartin 

Irina Pavlova, president of Onexim Sports, and described in the Nets’ media guide as the conduit between the team’s management and ownership, is on the trip and chatted with coach Avery Johnson after shootaround. The pair’s talk was unrelated to the Anthony trade, the Nets say. Newark Star-Ledger

New Jersey Nets, Avery Johnson, Irina Pavlova