New Jersey Nets Moving To Brooklyn, Ny

[King Taharqa]

and New Jersey says "good riddance!"

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Hours after Gov. Chris Christie bid the Brooklyn-bound team good riddance, the stars of the team's 35-year stay in the Garden State gathered at the team's final game to talk, laugh, share old memories and express some sadness the franchise is leaving for a new home.

The typically blunt Christie kicked things off roughly four hours before the tipoff when he said he would shed no tears over the departure of the Nets, who lost their final home game 105-87 the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.

''My message to them is, goodbye,'' Christie said at an afternoon news conference at Newark Beth Israel Hospital where he signed a bill to promote organ and tissue donation. ''You don't want to stay, we don't want you.''

The Nets have played the last two of their 35 years in New Jersey in Newark at the Prudential Center Arena, the high-tech home built by the city of Newark and the NHL's New Jersey Devils in 2007.

The Nets' owners in the 1990s had sought to move the team to Newark from the Meadowlands but couldn't work out financing a new arena. They eventually sold the franchise in 2004 to real estate developer Bruce Ratner, whose plan all along was to move the team to Brooklyn, and the Nets wound up in Newark as they waited for the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to be completed.

Christie scoffed at the team's decision to choose New York over New Jersey.

''That's one of the most beautiful arenas in America they have a chance to play in, it's in one of the country's most vibrant cities, and they want to leave here and go to Brooklyn?'' he asked. ''Good riddance, see you later. I think there'll be some other NBA team who may be looking to relocate and they might look at that arena and the fan base in the New Jersey and New York area and say, 'This is an opportunity to increase our fan base and try something different.''

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/christie-says-good-riddance-brooklyn-221456146--nba.html

Just to give a little perspective for those who forgot what its like to have a team abandon you for another market. It seems NJ is already moving on and is ready to get another team. A team that wants to be in NJ.

[KBRed]

You think we could buy the 'Nets' name from them?

[King Taharqa]

The name is staying with the franchise. They will now be known as the Brooklyn Nets. The team originally started in the ABA as the New York Nets. It was the second team Dr. J played for out of UMASS. As you see, the city's may change, but the franchise name does not.

[Panthers128]

The name is staying with the franchise. They will now be known as the Brooklyn Nets. The team originally started in the ABA as the New York Nets. It was the second team Dr. J played for out of UMASS. As you see, the city's may change, but the franchise name does not.

What about the Cleveland Browns? Didn't they move and become the Baltimore Ravens? It's not unprecedented in the world of sports. I think there is another team in the NFL with a similar legacy.

[King Taharqa]

There's never been a team in NBA history to change its name barring relocation. ABA teams in the 60's and 70's regularly "rebranded" their names due to their money issues and instability. But no NBA team has ever "rebranded" without a move. Of the 22 relocations in NBA history, only 7 have had "name changes". The last being the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008, due to the city of Seattle fighting for and retaining the rights to the "Supersonics" name. But that isn't common for a city to do (ex:city of Charlotte and the "Hornets" name). The other 6 times happened before 1978 over 30 years ago (last being Buffalo Braves becoming San Diego Clippers), and before David Stern's tenure as NBA commish. A "rebrand" in an existing market is a self defeatist move, a white flag of sorts that the league with its international visibility and star power is not gonna do. They'll move the franchise to a better market first. History shows us that.

[Hotsauce]

MikhailCats

[carolina-chuck]

New Jersey Bobcats

[panthersphan]

The name is staying with the franchise. They will now be known as the Brooklyn Nets. The team originally started in the ABA as the New York Nets. It was the second team Dr. J played for out of UMASS. As you see, the city's may change, but the franchise name does not.

Yeah, and that's clearly been successful...

[cbarrier90]

A team in Newark moving to Brooklyn is like an NBA team in Greenville, SC moving to Charlotte, NC. Essentially, the Nets will be in the same market with the same fanbase from which to draw, the only difference is they're now located in a larger city.

Nice try, but it's no Charlotte to New Orleans venture.

[Kevin Greene]

This whole thing is hilarious since the NY Jets and NY Giants play in New Jersey.

[Carolina Husker]

Congrats, Brooklyn, on a team that makes worse personnel decisions than the Bobcats.

[King Taharqa]

Somewhere in rural New Jersey there's a young kid who has a boner for the Nets mascot Sly that will raise hell in 10 years begging them back. And thru a twitter based movement he will win the heart of local NBA fans who don't know who the hell Marshon Brooks is.

"When I saw Sly dunk the basketball as a kid, I peed in my pants! I shitted myself! Knicks need to change their name to the Nets!!!! Its not fair mommy! Waaaaaaaah"

[X-Clown]

Yeah, and that's clearly been successful...

They went to back to back NBA finals in the last decade and were the team that knocked the Charlotte Hornets out of the playoffs in their last game at the Hive so....

[panthersphan]

The Nets beat the Hornets, your point?.... the NJ Nets still failed in NJ... Brooklyn Nets will be successful though I would imagine... especially with Jay-Z and being in Brooklyn... just all lines up for a good thing....