Media reports in the United States say billionaire Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov is looking to sell the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association.
ESPN.com cited multiple sources as saying on January 13 that Prokhorov, a former Russian presidential candidate and one of the country's richest men, has decided to sell the team he acquired for $223 million in May 2010.
Bloomberg cited two sources with knowledge of the matter as saying that Prokhorov has retained a company called Evercore Partners to sell the franchise.
Prokhorov's spokeswoman told RFE/RL that the Nets’ ownership is “open to listening to offers” but that no “imminent” sale is currently in the works.
The reports come amid a push by Russian President Vladimir Putin to have wealthy Russian entrepreneurs repatriate their offshore assets.