Former Nets star Kyrie Irving taking part in within the NBA Finals has had some Brooklyn followers taking part in a wistful recreation of “What if?”
However because the sequence reaches Recreation 3 Wednesday in Dallas, Irving isn’t the one native product who might’ve modified the trajectory of a number of groups, Brooklyn included.
Celtics minority proprietor Stephen Pagliuca was practically the controlling proprietor of the Nets, a seismic transfer that might’ve impacted each Brooklyn and Boston.
Pagliuca — born in New York and raised in New Jersey — virtually teamed up with Joe Tsai to purchase the Nets from Russian oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov in 2017.
“I used to be honored to be contacted by the Nets in 2017 to have a look at the membership,” Pagliuca instructed The Submit on Tuesday, “however determined after a evaluate that my coronary heart was with the Celtics and subsequently invested extra capital within the Celtics franchise and in addition within the Italian Serie A soccer crew Atalanta.”
Again in 2017 Prokhorov was being pressured to unload the crew by Russian president Vladimir Putin.
In a sophisticated bid construction, Pagliuca — who has been a Celtics minority proprietor for over 20 years — would have been the Nets controlling proprietor, although Tsai was truly placing up extra of the cash.
However Tsai ultimately opted in opposition to it.
He simply bid for the Nets on his personal, whereas Pagliuca purchased Serie A’s Atalanta and upped his stake within the Celtics, at present up 2-0 within the NBA Finals.
“I’m thrilled that Atalanta simply gained the Europa [League] championship for the primary time of their historical past and can play within the Champions League subsequent yr,” Pagliuca instructed The Submit. “I’m additionally lucky that the Celtics are taking part in for the NBA championship this week and that I’m simply as passionate concerning the crew as I used to be 21 years in the past once we bought the crew.”
Ultimately, Tsai took minority management from Prokhorov in 2017 and majority management two years later. It’s been a curler coaster ever since.
However Pagliuca was virtually driving it. Or to some extent directing it.
A second supply (who was near the sale course of) instructed The Submit he heard from educated sources that Pagliuca was seeking to purchase the crew.
“Pags is fairly nicely revered, usually, across the league,” the supply stated.
“I keep in mind being stunned to listen to Pagliuca was bidding.”
It’s unattainable to know for certain how issues would’ve labored out otherwise with Pagliuca in management.
Brooklyn’s Huge 3 of Irving, Kevin Durant and James Harden turned out to be ill-fated with accidents to Irving and Harden short-circuiting a title run in ’21.
Irving forcing his method out led to Durant’s commerce request and the top of the Huge 3.
What is for certain is it could have been a serious choice on the a part of the 69-year-old Pagliuca, who would have offered his stake within the Celtics to purchase the Nets.
Born within the metropolis and raised in Bernards Township, N.J., Pagliuca graduated from Ridge Excessive Faculty earlier than attending Duke, the place he performed freshman basketball.
Pagliuca purchased into the Celtics again in 2002.
He loved the fruits of a Huge 3 that really closed the deal, with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen getting him a championship ring in 2008 after their very first season collectively.
Not like the Nets, Boston’s inside strife didn’t come till years after they’d already gained.
And by the point the Celtics fleeced Nets GM Billy King within the 2013 deal that their present NBA finalists are constructed on, it was Pagliuca that represented the Celtics on the dais on the 2014 NBA Draft Lottery.
Maybe seeking to unfold his possession wings, Pagliuca purchased a further 8 % stake within the Celtics in 2020, bid for Premier League big Chelsea in 2022 and ultimately purchased Atalanta that very same yr.
Now, he’s nonetheless a minority proprietor of a Celtics crew main the Finals. Tsai has management of a Nets franchise on the lookout for minority funding, with Julia Koch transferring towards a stake.
And Nets followers have only one thing more to have a look at these Finals and marvel ‘What if?’
