After suffering through a vagabond existence, the Nets have spent the past decade in Brooklyn and finally feel like they’re starting to put down roots.
Barclays Center is their eighth home since their home debut at the Teaneck Armory back in the ABA’s inaugural season in 1967-68 — but it’s the first one that truly can be called a home.
Ten years after their first game in Brooklyn — a preseason game against the Washington Wizards on Oct. 15, 2012 — the Nets are planning an array of things to celebrate a decade in the borough.
They open the regular season on Wednesday against the visiting Pelicans.
“Our celebration of 10 Years in Brooklyn is for, and inspired by, Nets fans and the borough. Brooklyn has a distinct identity, comprised of diverse, driven, and passionate people that embody the spirit of The Brooklyn Way,” said Andrew Karson, senior VP of brand marketing, strategy & solutions for BSE Global.
“To commemorate this milestone, we will show appreciation to our community for their support over the past decade, spotlight the best of Brooklyn basketball and culture, and establish traditions for the future.”
Joe Harris waves to Nets fans at the Practice in the Park event on Oct. 9, 2022. USA TODAY SportsBSE Global is the parent company for the Nets, Barclays Center and the Liberty; and the Brooklyn Way is not just a lyric by late Brooklyn rap icon Notorious B.I.G., but an ethos that the Nets and Barclays Center are embracing — and one they’ll officially unveil Monday morning.
Nets GM Sean Marks even dropped the hint at the start of training camp, when discussing how the team’s attractiveness to players won’t be hurt or dimmed by a turbulent offseason.
“I don’t really worry too much about the hearsay because I know what happens within these walls here,” Marks said at the Nets’ media day. “When people leave here and they come back into town and we hear what they’ve said to the media, they’ve spoken so highly about whether it’s coaches, performance — just the Brooklyn Way, what we do — that speaks volumes.”
The Nets just hosted their annual Practice in the Park, and drew a crowd of 8,000 that was both a record for the event and the capacity for Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 2. To celebrate their anniversary in the borough, they’ll have programming featuring five cultural pillars that define it: basketball, music, fashion, food and the arts. They’ll partner with 10 local creators in those industries, announced on Nov. 1.
The game that night against the Bulls will be the first of their “10 Years in Brooklyn” celebration games, which will include giveaways. And they’ve released a short film called “10 Years in Brooklyn,” told through the eyes of 10-year-olds — the first generation of born-and-bred Nets fans.
With the legacy Knicks well-entrenched in the city, part of the Nets’ marketing strategy has been to heavily recruit the youth. Kyrie Irving in particular is popular with young fans.
Kevin Durant at the Nets’ Practice in the Park event. Stefan Jeremiah for New York Pos“We are continuing to see tremendous growth in our fan base, especially among younger fans,” Karson said. “Our Practice in the Park event earlier this month was a testament to that where thousands of people attended, many of them kids, to see the team at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
“The Brooklyn Nets brand transcends the court in many ways and we are excited to deepen that connection with our borough’s newest generation through our efforts this season.”





