The new Brooklyn Nets jerseys supposedly drop today, possibly during the opening Jay-Z concert and it's likely to sell almost as fast as the other merchandise. It'll be the hot commodity and let's hope stores packed enough of them. The jersey design was supposed to be a secret but leaks and sources have proven otherwise.
So with this new team comes new faces, new fans, a new arena, and new jerseys. The hype surrounding the team is incredible, something that would almost certainly be deemed unfathomable a year or two back. But now it is a reality.
The last of the big Nets merchandise will be the Brooklyn Nets jerseys, the piece of fabric that will forever represent the Brooklyn Nets. But the question is no longer what it will look like, but rather, which one will you get?
Several fans have voiced there opinions, with the majority claiming that they will buy Deron Williams or Joe Johnson's uniform copy off of the shelves. Some have even declared Humphries to be their first choice (the Kardashian affect?). But surprisingly, a minority of fans declared proudly that they will purchase the jersey of Brook Lopez.
The longest-tenured Net. The Net that withstood all hate and criticism thrown mostly unjustly at him for the past few years. The Net that was in a trade rumor no matter which way he turned. The same Net that dropped 38 points in his return before suffering another unfortunate injury.
But did he even cross your mind?
Maybe the injury was a blessing in disguise. Without him as the Nets anchor, the team collapsed. Deron faltered. Morrow declined. The Dwight trades broke down again and again. His absence produced the kind of ripple effect that only a few centers can create. There was no denying that the interior defense seemed nonexistent frequently without him. Players shooting from beyond the arc were not getting the same types of clean looks. At times the team seemed unmotivated, even with the support of Coach Avery. There was nothing to be done except wait, wait on the arrival of Dwight or the return of Lopez. In that time we as fans learned not to take Lopez for granted, but to appreciate what he means to the team.
Days, months, passed with the rumor mill in full circulation. Lopez was thrown into any conversation possible to obtain a player that would keep Deron for the long haul; by both management and the fans. Except management made it clear they had no intention in trading Lopez for any player not named Dwight. The fans were worse. Trade after trade was proposed to find another star while losing Lopez. It's understandable that the NBA is a business but any player would find such treatment unacceptable. Why should he want to return to such an unloving fan-base and front office? What made it more unique was that Lopez would be a restricted free agent. He had his chances to seek vengeance so to speak, but he deferred. He had his chances to make maximum money by accepting the max deals from other teams chasing him knowing the Nets would be very likely to match.
Note that this ordeal occurred after the acquisition of Joe Johnson, so if Lopez took the max he would still be on a good team but there would be less money at King's disposal to use on free agents. But Lopez did not chase the money, he stayed loyal to the team despite how the fan-base seemed to always disregard him and throw him under the bus.
But management understands; management knows how vital he is to the future the team. That's why he was there speaking on the last home game and not Deron. That's why he was representing the Nets around the globe. That's why he was there at the opening of the Brooklyn store. He represents the good of the Nets; the grit, the maturity, and the loyalty along with a playful attitude. He is the face of the Nets, while Deron is the face of Brooklyn.
So when I buy my first Brooklyn Nets jersey, it will be the one with Lopez written on the back and a number 11 under it. It will be the one of the player whose suffered the most, yet remained the most loyal. It's hard to find that type of player in the league these days, but this is what separates him from the rest. This is what makes him Brook Lopez, and not just another center.
So with this new team comes new faces, new fans, a new arena, and new jerseys. The hype surrounding the team is incredible, something that would almost certainly be deemed unfathomable a year or two back. But now it is a reality.
The last of the big Nets merchandise will be the Brooklyn Nets jerseys, the piece of fabric that will forever represent the Brooklyn Nets. But the question is no longer what it will look like, but rather, which one will you get?
Several fans have voiced there opinions, with the majority claiming that they will buy Deron Williams or Joe Johnson's uniform copy off of the shelves. Some have even declared Humphries to be their first choice (the Kardashian affect?). But surprisingly, a minority of fans declared proudly that they will purchase the jersey of Brook Lopez.
The longest-tenured Net. The Net that withstood all hate and criticism thrown mostly unjustly at him for the past few years. The Net that was in a trade rumor no matter which way he turned. The same Net that dropped 38 points in his return before suffering another unfortunate injury. But did he even cross your mind?
Maybe the injury was a blessing in disguise. Without him as the Nets anchor, the team collapsed. Deron faltered. Morrow declined. The Dwight trades broke down again and again. His absence produced the kind of ripple effect that only a few centers can create. There was no denying that the interior defense seemed nonexistent frequently without him. Players shooting from beyond the arc were not getting the same types of clean looks. At times the team seemed unmotivated, even with the support of Coach Avery. There was nothing to be done except wait, wait on the arrival of Dwight or the return of Lopez. In that time we as fans learned not to take Lopez for granted, but to appreciate what he means to the team.
Days, months, passed with the rumor mill in full circulation. Lopez was thrown into any conversation possible to obtain a player that would keep Deron for the long haul; by both management and the fans. Except management made it clear they had no intention in trading Lopez for any player not named Dwight. The fans were worse. Trade after trade was proposed to find another star while losing Lopez. It's understandable that the NBA is a business but any player would find such treatment unacceptable. Why should he want to return to such an unloving fan-base and front office? What made it more unique was that Lopez would be a restricted free agent. He had his chances to seek vengeance so to speak, but he deferred. He had his chances to make maximum money by accepting the max deals from other teams chasing him knowing the Nets would be very likely to match.
Note that this ordeal occurred after the acquisition of Joe Johnson, so if Lopez took the max he would still be on a good team but there would be less money at King's disposal to use on free agents. But Lopez did not chase the money, he stayed loyal to the team despite how the fan-base seemed to always disregard him and throw him under the bus.
But management understands; management knows how vital he is to the future the team. That's why he was there speaking on the last home game and not Deron. That's why he was representing the Nets around the globe. That's why he was there at the opening of the Brooklyn store. He represents the good of the Nets; the grit, the maturity, and the loyalty along with a playful attitude. He is the face of the Nets, while Deron is the face of Brooklyn.
So when I buy my first Brooklyn Nets jersey, it will be the one with Lopez written on the back and a number 11 under it. It will be the one of the player whose suffered the most, yet remained the most loyal. It's hard to find that type of player in the league these days, but this is what separates him from the rest. This is what makes him Brook Lopez, and not just another center.
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