New Jersey Nets are history: Jay-Z makes ‘Brooklyn Nets’ name official – NBA News
On Monday, 26 September, Rapper Jay-Z convened a press conference in New York to officially announce the new name of the Nets franchise – the Brooklyn Nets.
The hip-hop mogul, who is a part owner of the franchise, said that once the Nets move into the new state of the art Barclays Center, they will be called the Brooklyn Nets. The move is expected to take place at the start of 2012-2013
NBA season.
The name change does not come as a surprise as it had been on the cards for quite a while. The organization reportedly considered complete name changes such as the Brooklyn Kings or the Brooklyn Bridges, but now it appears they
have settled on using the “Nets” nick name.
Jay-Z also revealed that the opening of the arena would not be a small matter as he wants multiple concerts to mark the event.
"We're going to open this arena right here with a concert. Maybe one, maybe two, maybe three ... I sound like LeBron," the rapper said, taking a sly dig at his friend, and Miami Heat super star, LeBron James.
Although Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov is the major share holder in the franchise, it is the rapper who has become the public image. That does not come as a surprise, given his larger than life personality, international
fame and deep ties with the area of Brooklyn.
Jay Z said that he felt special joy in being associated with the project and will be a very happy man once he gets to officially open the new arena for business,
"From the moment the Barclays Center became a reality, I knew this meant something significant for Brooklyn," Jay-Z said. "This is where I'm from, I'll always be Brooklyn, and opening this arena will mean more to me than anywhere
else. I also look forward to opening night for the Brooklyn Nets. We're going to create an atmosphere like only Brooklyn can."
The move is also expected to deepen the rivalry between the Nets and the New York Knicks, who have been engrained as the premier basketball organization in the city for decades now. Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz was
also present at the press conference and could not resist taking a shot at the rival franchise,
"I can't wait, for those Knicks, a.k.a. Manhattan Knicks, to step out of the way for what will surely be our NBA champions, the Brooklyn Nets," he said.
Nets fans will be hoping that the positive developments regarding the new arena would also translate to an upturn in fortunes on the court for a team that has suffered in recent years.
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