In 1957 the Brooklyn Dodgers left Ebbets Field in pursuit of the greener pastures of California. Since then, the closest Brooklyn has come to the major leagues has been the Cyclones, a minor league baseball affiliate of the Mets.
Now, years later, the tables have finally turned. Professional sports are back in Brooklyn. Thanks in large part to the efforts of rapper Jay-Z and owner Mikhail Prokhorov, the New Jersey Nets have successfully made the move that has been talked about for years.
The team will have a new look for the upcoming season, having added shooting guard Joe Johnson and will occupy their home turf in the brand new arena, The Barclays Center.
Barclays is a major global financial service provider engaged in retail banking, credit cards, and corporate finance around the world. They operate in over 50 countries and employ over 140,000 people. The newly erected arena, located directly outside of the Atlantic Avenue train stations, will certainly ignite a heated rivalry between the New York Knicks and the new Brooklyn Nets.
While the arena’s Manhattan counterpart, Madison Square Garden seats 18,200 people for basket ball games the Barclays Center seats only 18,103. This small difference symbolizes the persona of the respective teams. The Nets have always been seen as inferior to the Knicks. Now, they’re surrounded by the buzz and hype of the Big Apple as opposed to the New Jersey location.
In an attempt to share the spotlight with the historic Madison Square Garden the Barclays Center has booked big-ticket acts such as Lady Gaga, the Harlem Globetrotters, Rihanna, Andrea Bocelli, Barbra Streisand and even Jay-Z himself will be performing during the inaugural year.
Isabella Cieciorko, freshman, said, “Being that I’m not that big of a basketball fan, I’m excited for the concerts taking place and stand up comedy shows. I actually am planning on buying tickets to the Rihanna concert that’s taking place in May with a couple of friends. The Russell Peters show is also something I want to go see. The Barclay center is something that will only benefit Brooklyn!”
Brooklyn is most certainly finding success in their attempt to take the NBA and world of entertainment by storm. From NBA games, boxing matches, and stadium concerts, the Barclays Center will have something to draw anyone to bustling Downtown Brooklyn.
It is sure to bring magic back to the most populous of the City’s five boroughs. The Barclays Center represents a graceful approach crafted to achieve cultural and environmental synergy. They want all New Yorkers to be excited. Serviced by eleven different subway lines, this basketball arena will be a huge attraction and definite mainstay for Brooklynites and Pace students as well.
In the offseason, the Nets failed at their attempt to land the best center in basketball, Dwight Howard. They did not let that affect their far-reaching game plan.
They brought back star point guard Deron Williams, acquired Shooting Guard Joe Johnson from the Atlanta Hawks, and were able to keep Big Men Brook Lopez and Kris Humphries.
Richard Zao, freshman, said “I never rooted for the Nets but now, they have some solid worth. I’ll be rootin’ for the Knicks when the two duke it out in a month. Do the Nets have the “D-Will” to win? They’ve made their move to Brooklyn. The question now is, can they make their move towards championships.”
With so many big name players in town and tons of publicity being stirred up by Jay-Z and the performers that he will bring into the facility, there is much reason for businesses to believe and invest in Brooklyn. The Barclays Center is said to boost the economy and provide many new opportunities for entrepreneurs and entertainers alike.
Last year the NBA suffered from a lockout and the Nets failed to make the playoffs in the shortened season. There is now much reason for fans and players to hope for a championship, moving forward. The Barclay’s Center can inspire a culture of winning that the Nets have never known. Along with newly designed uniforms, the black and white color scheme is displayed in the seating, tiles, and overall decor. It is the most high-tech arena in the nation and boasts “The Oculus,” a gigantic HD video window. All this comes full circle as Brooklyn has an exciting new year ahead of them with a new team and a beautiful new stadium.
