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Nets Owner Mikhail Prokhorov Takes Dig At Knicks' 'Little Man' James Dolan

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Brooklyn Nets did all they could this offseason to try and give the Knicks a run for their money in the Big Apple battleground.

With stars on both sides, the rivalry is sure to entertain on the court.

Off it? Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has that covered.

In a recently published New York Magazine article, writer Will Leitch said the 6-foot-8 Russian billionaire referred to Knicks owner James Dolan as "that little man."

"Prokhorov told me back in December that he plans on attending a quarter of the regular-season games and 'all the playoff ones.' He also made sure that I heard him call Dolan 'that little man,'" Leitch noted in his story about Brooklyn's new Barclays Center.

Dolan wasn't the first NBA owner targeted by Prokhorov, who joked in April that he'd "crush" Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in a "kickboxing throwdown" over point guard Deron Williams.

The Nets eventually re-signed Williams. His return came after the team acquired guard Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks.

During the much-hyped bash celebrating "Brooklyn's Backcourt," Johnson was asked which team is tops in New York.

"The Nets," he replied. "Definitely the Nets."

There's no doubt the Nets, who will open their first regular-season game as a Brooklyn franchise at home against the Knicks, are out to take over New York. Prokhorov leveled the first blow during his introductory press conference in 2010: "We will turn Knicks fans into Nets fans."

The Nets later put up a billboard featuring Prokhorov and part-owner Jay-Z outside Madison Square Garden, touting the franchise's "blueprint for greatness." Their marketing campaign has geared up since unveiling the new black-and-white colors and Brooklyn logos, and officially moving their operations to the borough.

"It's clear that the Nets did not move to Brooklyn to be Pepsi to Jim Dolan's Coke," wrote Leitch. "They want to be Veuve Clicquot."

Do you like Prokhorov's antics or is it too much? Be heard in the comments below...

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