Jump to content

NJ might have shot at NBA team


oat77

Recommended Posts

The NBA is running out of spots to put their struggling teams. Newark might be their best option

New Jersey might have shot at New Orleans Hornets when N.J. Nets move

Newark is "hosting" the New Jersey Nets until a Brooklyn arena is open. Newark might be the best open market the NBA will have but that will not happen for a few years.
...would New Jersey be a viable option if Prokhorov's Nets are finally in Brooklyn? That's a good question. David Stern's three legged stool theory of being financially successful requires a city to provide government support (an arena, tax breaks, etc.), a strong cable TV money deal and corporate support.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a longshot, but if it happened, I think it could really be successful this time. The Nets carried way too much baggage that a new team wouldn't have.

Agreed.. Having a team playing in Newark, getting involved in the community there, and being proud to represent New Jersey could revive basketball in the state.. I mean, when the Nets were good I remember the stands having a decent crowd at CAA.. Newark would only do better, being in a nicer and more accessible arena.. Once Stern sees the draft hosted in the beautiful PruCenter, he will want a team playing there

Then maybe JVB will drop the charade and start paying his taxes on the place once he has revenue from another NBA team

Edited by Colin226
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would not be surprised at all. There are other factors working in favor of it:

1)No territorial issues like the Devils had to deal with

2)The majority of basketball fans in NJ aren't going to Brooklyn. They'll go to the Garden before going there

3)If this area can support 3 hockey teams for this long, then they can support 3 NBA teams

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree with everything that has been said here. It could work, and there is more chance of it happening than people will believe. However, if I had to place a bet, I don't think it happens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not much of an NBA fan, but I did go to a few Nets games back in the day. With a new team, that is proud to call itself an NJ team, I think they could do very well in Newark. Right now, who in NJ wants to go to a Nets game...they are deserting us.

One possibility I have heard before is that the Bucks move to NJ. They wouldn't even have to change the name. Drive 20 mins west of Newark and you are in deer country.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not much of an NBA fan, but I did go to a few Nets games back in the day. With a new team, that is proud to call itself an NJ team, I think they could do very well in Newark. Right now, who in NJ wants to go to a Nets game...they are deserting us.

One possibility I have heard before is that the Bucks move to NJ. They wouldn't even have to change the name. Drive 20 mins west of Newark and you are in deer country.

The New Jersey Roadkill Bucks?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started disliking the Nets when the move to Brooklyn was announced, but I held on in hopes that the arena would fall through, and they would basically say "our bad, we love you, Jersey." But the final straw for me was when they dropped "New Jersey" from their uniforms. If a new team moves into the Rock, I will be 100% behind them. Until then, I only root for Demon Deacons in the NBA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really the Nets are 30th, dead last and the Devils are 26th out of 30, you're using the term support pretty loosely.

And both teams are the worst clubs in their respective leagues. And one of them is a lame duck franchise who spat in the face of NJ. Coincidence?

Both teams have been in the bottom half (bottom third in most cases) in attendance in the past decade. Both has had consistently good seasons and making the playoffs (aside from the Nets recent mediocrity and Devils dreadful first half).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Both teams have been in the bottom half (bottom third in most cases) in attendance in the past decade. Both has had consistently good seasons and making the playoffs (aside from the Nets recent mediocrity and Devils dreadful first half).

Exactly the sh!t attendance isn't a recent development, there's a long track record of it. Slapping a different NBA team in here would do nothing to improve it. Frankly I can't see why anybody would be crazy enough to even try it and I'm confident nobody will.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Both has had consistently good seasons and making the playoffs

The bad seasons wayyy outweigh the good for the Nets.

If they start to average less than what the Coyotes are or in the 4 digit range, I can understand the skepticism. You forget those teams had the luxury of playing in the swamp for most of the decade, which was rated the worst NBA arena for a reason. And before you talk about the Rock, I wouldn't call 15,000 sh!t attendance, especially for a "boring," unmarketable hockey team who hasn't done anything great since 2003.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Exactly the sh!t attendance isn't a recent development, there's a long track record of it. Slapping a different NBA team in here would do nothing to improve it. Frankly I can't see why anybody would be crazy enough to even try it and I'm confident nobody will.

The Nets were rumored to be leaving 6 years ago, and made their plans definite 5 years ago. They've been a lame duck franchise ever since.

There are markets much worse off in the NBA than a New Jersey market would be.

I'm not saying a team would definitely move in, but it's more likely than you think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bad seasons wayyy outweigh the good for the Nets.

If they start to average less than what the Coyotes are or in the 4 digit range, I can understand the skepticism. You forget those teams had the luxury of playing in the swamp for most of the decade, which was rated the worst NBA arena for a reason. And before you talk about the Rock, I wouldn't call 15,000 sh!t attendance, especially for a "boring," unmarketable hockey team who hasn't done anything great since 2003.

Well, I never really said that attendance was poor or anything. I made a point that based on attendance rankings, we never really got out of the bottom half regardless of success. We still had good numbers in most cases.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not much of an NBA fan, but I did go to a few Nets games back in the day. With a new team, that is proud to call itself an NJ team, I think they could do very well in Newark. Right now, who in NJ wants to go to a Nets game...they are deserting us.

One possibility I have heard before is that the Bucks move to NJ. They wouldn't even have to change the name. Drive 20 mins west of Newark and you are in deer country.

You'd be surprised. I went to a game against the Bulls a month or so again and it was packed. You'd think they were playing in the Conference Finals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Christie says he's had 'casual' talks with NBA on a new team for N.J.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

BY JOHN BRENNAN

The Record

STAFF WRITER

012511christienba.jpg

JOHN O'BOYLE / THE STAR-LEDGER

Christie arrives at a press conference at Newark’s Prudential Center, which touted the upcoming NCAA men’s college basketball tournament games to be played there in March.

Governor Christie has had “casual conversations” with National Basketball Association Commissioner David Stern about the possibility of Newark getting another NBA team once the Nets leave for Brooklyn in 2012, he said Tuesday.

Christie said he is aware that Stern has expressed doubts about the feasibility of a third NBA franchise joining the Nets and New York Knicks in the same metropolitan area.

“But sometimes people don’t say things to me that are going to make me unhappy — you know how that works,” the sometimes combative Christie said with a smile at a press conference at Newark’s Prudential Center. The event touted the upcoming NCAA men’s college basketball tournament games to be played there in March.

“I think there is a future for NBA basketball here in Newark,” Christie said. “I think that New Jersey having a state-of-the-art facility like Newark has here, you have the possibility of doing that. We support three [National Hockey League] teams in the region, so I don’t see why we can’t support three basketball teams.”

The Nets moved to Newark last fall from the Izod Center for the first of what is scheduled to be two seasons at “The Rock” while the Barclays Center is being built near downtown Brooklyn. But thanks to the Nets’ lame duck status, lack of a charismatic star, and another poor record this season, the Nets remain last in the NBA in average attendance at 13,123 per game. That’s up just 20 fans per game from last season.

Christie said Newark will impress fans from whichever four visiting NCAA schools advance to the third tournament round to play there in March.

“They’ll say, ‘I’m glad I came here — I had a great meal, saw great entertainment at The Rock,’” Christie said. “And for the team that [advances] to the Final Four, they’ll have even fonder memories of Newark.”

The Prudential Center beat out a bid by the 30-year-old Izod Center, among others, to host the NCAA contests. The Newark facility also last year surpassed Izod Center in ticket sales for concerts and family shows.

But Christie said that Newark’s success does not have any relevance to the future of Izod Center, which Christie hopes to see privatized.

“Newark competed for this and got it, and that’s good for Newark and good for the state, which is what matters most to me,” Christie said.

Triple Five, which runs the giant Mall of America in Minnesota and the West Edmonton Mall in Canada, signed a letter of intent last month to take over management of the stalled Xanadu shopping and entertainment complex adjacent to the Izod Center. Christie would not address whether Mall of America might also manage the arena, saying only that he would have “major announcements in the coming weeks about Mall of America’s involvement” at the Meadowlands Sports Complex.

E-mail: brennan@northjersey.com Blog: northjersey.com/brennan Twitter: @BergenBrennan

http://www.northjersey.com/news/012511_Christie_says_hes_had_casual_talks_with_NBA_on_a_new_team_for_NJ.html

Edited by ChilltownDevs2673
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nah, the real question is how the structure would be and how it would work with JVB. I personally do not think JVB has the money to buy a NBA franchise so another owner would have to come in and then you would have to work out ownership with the arena (maybe say buy out the city's share :rolleyes: ). Their will be franchises available over the next decade as one or another market fails, you just have to have someone with the money to scoop them up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.