In the New York sports market, the Brooklyn Nets have been an absolute mess. They’re not the worst team in New York, as that goes to the NFL’s New York Jets, but the Nets are a clear number 2. One of the big reasons why is that the location of Brooklyn makes it a nightmare to go to games. New York Islanders fans know that when the hockey team played games there before UBS Arena was built. This led New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill to talk about the Nets’ potential return to New Jersey.
What The Governor Of New Jersey Said
Sherrill recently celebrated her 100th day in office and was asked about the Nets basketball team. She gave a surprising answer, claiming that efforts were underway to get the team back. This is what she said word for word.
“I mean, would I support it? I ask about it all the time,… I love the idea. So, I have been pressing for that. I haven’t made a lot of headway yet; you know, maybe in my second 100 days. But I do think there is some work being done for some — I don’t know if I’m allowed to say too much about it — but some people are working on some different sports coming into the Rock.”
The problem is that she’s a politician, and it’s hard to trust what they say. Also, the Brooklyn Nets have made it clear that they are “perfectly happy in Brooklyn”. When looking at the larger picture, there is legit no chance that the Nets leave Brooklyn for New Jersey.
The Incompetent Owner Owns The Building
The Nets’ biggest problem is their owner, Joseph Tsai, who has no idea how to run an NBA team. It also does not help that Tsai is way too handsy with the franchise and is too loyal to current GM Sean Marks. On a side note, why is Marks still the GM of this team? His bizarre transactions make no sense, including his butchering of the franchise with the James Harden trade.
For as many flaws that Tsai has, he did make a smart move when he bought the team He also got the rights and ownership to the Barclays Center, the home court where the Nets play. There is no chance that Tsai would ever relocate the Nets away from the building he owns, as that results in a loss of revenue and a new expense with whatever building they play in.
The Nets Just Renovated The Barclays Center
Here is another problem that hardly gets mentioned: there are current renovations going on with the Barclays. In fact, the building is in the third year of a five-year, $140 million renovation project. Given how much money is being thrown at Barclays, it would be economically disastrous for the Nets to move out of that building. Too much money is tied up in this, and just abandoning it to go back to New Jersey would be a bad look.
There Is No Chance Brooklyn Goes Back To New Jersey Anytime Soon
As Vince McMahon would always say, “You have no chance in hell.” There is a greater chance that the Shanghai Sharks become an NBA expansion team than the Nets moving back to New Jersey. Yes, the Nets would be better off in New Jersey, but the problem is that this owner will never move the team out of the building he owns. While Tsai is an incompetent owner, it’s hard not to blame him for keeping the Nets in Brooklyn. The best chance for the Nets to go back to New Jersey is for Tsai to sell the team to a new owner.
