Are the Brooklyn Nets finally carving out a piece of New York?
Early History
The history of the Nets is a nomadic one. Established in 1967, a new basketball team was slated to begin operations in the American Basketball Association (ABA) to represent New York. This team (the New York Americans) was set up to play in Manhattan to compete with the NBA's New York Knickerbockers (Est. 1946), known less formally as the Knicks. However, the Knicks pressured the Americans' intended arena, the 69th Regiment Armory to back out months before the first tipoff. This forced the Americans to find a temporary home in Teaneck, New Jersey as the New Jersey Americans. The next year they relocated to Long Island, New York (renamed the "Nets" to mirror the close by Mets and Jets), playing in various arenas such as the Long Island Arena (Commack), Island Garden (West Hempstead), and finally the Nassau Coliseum (Uniondale) where they called home for five years. In New York, the Nets found success with Long Island talent Julius "Dr. J" Erving, who led the nets to two ABA championships and became basketball's first bonified celebrity. The ABA introduced both the "3-pointer" and the flashy Slam Dunk Contest, where Dr. J took the world by storm by dunking from the free throw line decades before Michael Jordan replicated this feat.
The Merger
During the ABA/NBA merger, the Nets once again found themselves at the mercy of the Knicks who claimed "territorial rights" in the amount of $4.8 million. This resulted the Nets being unable to pay Dr. J's promised salary, leading to his sale to the Philadelphia 76ers so the Nets could pay the Knicks on top of the already owed "entrance fee" of $3.2 million to the NBA. The Nets played their first year in the NBA in New York before seeking a return to New Jersey. Yet again, the Knicks attempted to block the move, leading to a lawsuit in the Federal District Court in Manhattan. The settlement saw the Knicks allow the move if the Nets paid them another $4 million.
New Jersey
The New Jersey Nets spent most of their time in New Jersey searching for an identity as a "little brother" to the New York Knicks. The Nets saw success in the early 2000s, appearing in back-to-back NBA Finals, though they lost both times. After the era of Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and company, the Nets returned to mediocrity. Although the Knicks have had a similarly disappointing on-floor product (except for their own brief run of success in the 1990s), there was one fact that remained constant: New York was a Knicks town. Although the two franchises were often at the bottom of their division, the Nets found themselves playing in a semi-empty arena in New Jersey while the Knicks played in the heart of Manhattan and rarely had a game that wasn't a sellout.
Brooklyn
After a major push by a consortium involving Brooklyn-born Jay-Z, the Nets finally relocated back to New York, becoming the first professional sports team in Brooklyn since the Dodgers played their last game before leaving for Los Angeles in 1957. The new Brooklyn Nets underwent a complete makeover with the new colors and logo designed by Jay-Z himself. The Nets have embraced Brooklyn from its art and history to its gritty personality. With the move to Brooklyn, the Nets hoped to develop a fanbase which essentially required them to turn Knicks fans into Nets fans. This was thought to be possible due to the Knicks' on-court struggles and owner James Dolan who has a history of drama and feuds with former players and fans, even stating, "[s]tart rooting for the Nets because the Knicks don't want you" while banning fans from Madison Square Garden. However, New York still belongs to the Knicks and largely outnumber Nets fans, even in their own arena.
Fight for New York
The Nets' nomadic existence has resulted in a splintered fanbase, but could the tides finally be changing? After a decade in Brooklyn, the Nets have seen many stars come and go, including Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and even the short tenure of James Harden while he searches for a ring. The Nets currently have names such as Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Joe Harris, Blake Griffin, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, Patty Mills, and LaMarcus Aldridge. As of this year, Kevin Durant has the NBA's 4th highest jersey sales, and the Brooklyn Nets have the 4th highest selling merchandise, surpassing the Knicks by two places. Perhaps more impressive, a New York Times map of NBA fanbase allegiance from 2014 Facebook data shows the Brooklyn Nets with virtually no majority in New York City or in the surrounding areas. Fastforward to 2019, when Vivid Seats developed a map based on ticket sales. This new dada shows a Nets majority in Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx (along with areas in New Jersey and Upstate New York). They have even surpassed the Knicks in Instagram followers, though that is admittedly a less reliable metric. It is very possible in this day and age that fans are following superstar players and not the Nets as an organization, leading to the inflation of these numbers. However, there is no denying the positive increase of support for the Nets.
The Knicks are still New York's team, and it will remain that way for the foreseeable future. The Nets have a stable organization and competent ownership - something Knicks fans have longed for since James Dolan took over. The Nets are also on an uptrend and have one of the most star-studded teams in NBA History. If the Nets can win a championship and keep their brand strong, they could certainly overtake the Knicks in decades to come as new generations embrace the sport. For now, they are finally beginning to carve out a fanbase throughout the city, but it will take a lot more to emerge from the Knicks' shadow.