The NBA and Ticketmaster announced a new five-year partnership on Monday.

Fans will be able to purchase tickets to NBA games in both the primary and secondary market via Ticketmaster.

The NBA has been working on this ticketing platform idea for nearly two years. 

Mikhail Prokhorov is not concerned about paying an estimated $12 million luxury tax bill after approving the Nets’ trade for Joe Johnson and signing off on extensions for Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries.

"I am only interested in what will bring us a championship team," Prokhorov said. "That is the sole criterion."

The Nets are likely to pay the luxury tax until 2016 with about $290 million owed to Johnson, Williams, Lopez, Wallace and Humphries.

Prokhorov, who spent $260 million in May of 2010 for an 80 percent share of the team, 45 percent of the Barclays Center and an option to buy 20 percent of the overall Atlantic Yards project, believes his investment is "worth at least double already."

The NBA blocked Kevin Garnett’s bid to purchase a minority stake in Italian soccer club AS Roma.

Roma is led by Celtics minority owner James Pallotta.

“If you enter into a business agreement with the owner of a team that doesn’t involve playing service, there are potential problems,” a league source said. “Maybe not in this case. But there is a chance of, say, making a contract a lot larger.”

In April, LeBron James obtained a small stake in Liverpool FC, which is owned by Boston-based Fenway Sports Group.

“With LeBron, there is no tie-in whatsoever, so it’s a different deal,” the source said. “It’s like having a business relationship with Nike. We make it simple — you can’t have a business deal with your team, or any other team, because there is the possibility of an underhanded deal there. It’s pretty clear-cut.”

Billy Hunter, the executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, said Friday that union members will have a say on whether the Olympic basketball competition becomes a 23-and-under event.

"Whatever the players decide, that's what I'll end up supporting," Hunter said. "They don't want anybody being able to dictate whether they can or cannot do that.

"If the players express concern, I can assure you that their concerns are going to be heard and seriously considered."

Hunter, who is on USA Basketball's board of directors, has yet to broach the subject with David Stern.

"Clearly, because it would impact our players, there would be input from the union," Hunter said. "There's been no discussion yet. If in fact that's something that they're planning to effectuate, they have to sit down and come to the table with the players."