Russian billionaire and former amateur basketball player Mikhail Prokhorov reached an agreement with the New Jersey Nets to to buy an 80% stake in the financially-troubled NBA franchise.

According to the agreement, the 6-6 Prokhorov, who is reportedly worth an estimated $9.5 billion, will also finance nearly half of a project to build the new Nets arena in Brooklyn.

Prokhorov already owns a stake in Euroleague powerhouse and Russian club CSKA Moscow.

According to his blog, Russia’s richest man plans on buying the Nets is partly because he would like access to NBA training methods, hoping to bring them to CSKA, and helping Russian coaches obtain positions in the league.

Perhaps the post was an answer to many of his countrymen calling his move unpatriotic by sending money over to the United States instead of using his deep pockets in developing sport in mother Russia.

“I have a long-standing passion for basketball and pursuing interests that forward the development of the sport in Russia,” Prokhorov said in a statement.

“I look forward to becoming a member of the NBA.”