Jay-Z is the face of the Brooklyn Nets, and until now the real man behind the team, Mikhail Prokhorov, has come off as cold, distant, and somewhat shady. He's the stereotypical Russian billionaire dabbling in sports ownership as a fun diversion from the rigors of being a billionaire, right? WRONG! As it turns out, Mikhail is a nice guy! And he loves the Nets! He sent gifts to the crew of TNT's "Inside the NBA," which we assume are authentic шaпкa (pronounced "shapka," but go ahead and say "wanka" anyway), which is Russian for those fur caps with flappy ears.
Shaq, who says his Russian name is Vladimir Mandingo, looks great in a шaпкa.
If you can't buy these hats inside the Barclays Center yet, the Nets are missing out on a huge marketing opportunity.
(h/t Trey Kerby at The Basketball Jones)