If the Nets draw this well at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, their might never be an empty seat in the House that Jay-Z Built.
Roughly 2,000 screaming fans and intrigued onlookers today – many armed with camera phones — packed the public plaza outside Borough Hall and spilled onto Court Street for a gala celebration introducing the Nets’ new All-Star guard tandem of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson.
Borough President Marty Markowitz said the only time he’s ever seen the plaza – which is routinely used for public events – more crowded was as a youth in 1955 while attending a celebration honoring what would be the Dodgers only championship in Brooklyn.
“This demonstrates just how hungry Brooklyn has been for a professional sports team,” said Markowitz, who joked earlier that any Brooklyn resident who remains a fan of the “Manhattan” Knicks would be guilty of “treason.”
Barclays Center/Nets CEO Brett Yormark said he was “overwhelmed” by today’s turnout and the support fans have especially shown the past few weeks.
Since July 1— days before the Nets tipped off a more than $300 million spending spree to resign Williams, sign Johnson away from the Atlanta Hawks and ink other top free agents – the team has sold off more than 2,300 season tickets at the 18,200-seat arena.
Net fans Max and Eric Kiss, 19-year-old twins from Fort Greene who live a block away from Barclays Center, said yesterday’s turnout proves many Brooklyn residents are ready to jump on the Nets’ bandwagon.
“This is sick, and it’s all about Brooklyn pride,” Max Kiss said. “Many of our friends are slowly switching from Knicks fans to Nets fans. “ But Robert Hall, a 31-year-old teacher from Park Slope, said he’d never turn his back on the Knicks.
“I wish the Nets well because I live in Brooklyn — but not when they play the Knick,” he said. “If you switch teams, you were never a real fan.”
Nets fan Tommy Bayiokos said he was blown away by how many people showed up outside Borough Hall.
“This is a huge trifecta for Brooklyn,” the 47-year-old actor and drummer from Bensonhurst said. “A great team, a great sport and a great arena. The sad days of the New Jersey Nets are finally over.”