My Visit to the Barclays Center



It has been an unusually sluggish start, in terms anythng new, or going anyplace that deviates from the everyday norm, so far in 2013. I realized yesterday that I had not even been outside of the borders of New Jersey so far this year - a fact that many people would surely find quite depressing. That might just include me.

Of course, usually things slow down for me during the winter. Not that this has been a particularly bad one- it has not. In fact, this one here in the northern half of New Jersey probably falls into the domain of a mild winter, and that makes it two winters in a row. This one was not as mild as last year's was, but it was milder than the vast majority of winters that I have experienced here before.

My brother got discounted tickets through Bergen Community College, and that included a bus trip to and from the event. Sounded great! Could not wait to go.

Of course, the bus wound up being an hour and a half late, and the school apparently had no communication with either the bus driver or the company dispatch! I wonder how that happens?

It did arrive, though, and just around the time when I was resigning myself to the real possibility (by then, it was feeling more like a probability) that I was actually going to have to make the drive out there myself. All the hassles of driving in the city, paying all of those tolls, and going to a place that I am not familiar with, and do not know how to get to. Plus, I had foolishly left the GPS at home. My familiar anger was about to rise, as a bunch of us (I think someone said over forty) were sitting around, waiting for that damn bus.

Finally, at just shy of 6:30pm, there was an announcement that the bus had arrived. I was relieved, and let out a sigh of relief to advertise this fact. But it was quiet, and no one noticed - even those within a couple of feet from me.

The woman in charge of the trip began to address us, and started out by mentioning that the bus was here. One young, dumb guy yelled out, YYEEAAAHHHH!"

The woman regarded him with scorn on her face, and began reprimanding him, like an adult, perhaps particularly a school teacher, might reprimand a misbehaving child.

"Excuse me! I wasn't finished!" she said, that same outrage expression on her face, before resuming the instructions about our trip.

We boarded the bus, and I was just happy not to have to drive in. I hate driving in the city, and plus, I figured the price of parking would be far too high, as it always is in New York. Part of the advantage to going on these trips is that you are taken to these places, and do not actually have to worry about such things.

So, finally, we were on our way. They told us that by the time we arrived, the game would be in progress, and it was. But the score was, I think, 7-4 n favor of the Nets, early in the 1st quarter, when we arrived. We did not miss much, and considering how late the bus arrived, it could certainly have been far worse.

On the way, however, we took the NJ Turnpike, then headed towards Jersey City and the Holland Tunnel. On the Manhattan side, we went through Canal Street and China town, before crossing over into Brooklyn. The Barclays Center was maybe ten minutes after we crossed over.

I had heard that it was big on the outside, and indeed, you noticed it from far away. There it was, just ahead of us, in big, blue letters:

BARCLAYS CENTER

Everyone was getting excited! That chant of 'Broooooo-klyyyynnn!" started up inside of the bus. We were almost there, and just after 7:30!

The place does look huge on the outside! It is very well lit, and spacious on the outside. The guy on the bus had told us that it looked huge on the outside, but was actually a bit smaller on the inside. Also, he mentioned that it was dark in there.

He proved to be right on both counts.



On the inside, it is indeed dark. Also, I think the aisles are a bit small, and there really is very little leg room. Most arenas and stadiums and such seem to have a bit more leg room than the Barclays Center has, which kind of surprised me a little bit.

But overall, it was a nice place. The wooden court looked shiny and new. The simple black and white uniforms and imagery for the Brooklyn Nets looked nice, a bit of a throwback to uniforms from an earlier era, back to the last time that Brooklyn still had a professional team - the Brooklyn Dodgers. Everything looked and felt new.

That includes the results. Oh, I remember the Nets being winners (more on that in a minute). But the Nets have been doormats these last few years. A couple of years ago, they were flirting with being the most losing team in basketball history, threatening to finish with a worse record than 9-73, which is absolutely the worst record a professional basketball team has ever finished with (the Philadelphia 76ers). Technically, during a strike shortened season, the Charlotte Bobcats actually overtook those 76ers, with a worse overall winning percentage.

These Nets were not only in playoff positioning, but strong playoff positioning to boot. They are nipping at the heels of their cross town rivals, the New York Knicks. They are fighting to be a division champion, and have been struggling not to get wins, but rather to be in the top half of the eight team playoff draw, in terms of positioning. Not too shabby.

I could recall some Nets history, and seeing them now in this big, shiny and new arena, with these big, shiny and new results, I could not help but feel a bit proud of the team for the reversal in fortune. The Nets, just three short years ago, were still playing in the old arena in East Rutherford, which had been their home since the early eighties. They had risen and fallen, although usually, they were not serious playoff contenders. But a lot of greats had played there, and played for this team in general. Dr. J, Julius Irving. Buck Willams. Daryll Dawkins.  Coach Larry Brown. Mookie Blaylock, whom one of my favorite bands, Pearl Jam, named themselves after in their very earliest days, before they finally came out with an actual name (their first album, the multi-platinum selling "Ten", was named so because that was Blaylock's number). Coach Chuck Daly. Drazen Petrovic. Derrick Coleman. Kenny Anderson. Sam Casell. Alonzo Mourning. Jason Kidd. Richard Jefferson. Dikembe Mutombo. Kenyan Martin (K-Mart). Keith Van Horn. Kerry Kittles. Vince Carter. Clifford Robinson. And now. Deron Williams. Brook Lopez. Joe Johnson. Andray Blatche. Hell, even Kris Humphries (who some disparagingly refer to as "Kris Kardashian", and perhaps even with some legitimacy), who was one of the leading contributors on the court for the Nets last season.

And I thought of some of my own experiences with the Nets. Back in the nineties, when they were a much cheaper alternative to the New York Knicks, who were a perennial playoff contender, and who even went to the finals. Twice.

Back then, I went to see the Nets, but they hardly seemed like a serious team. It was professional basketball, but I will admit, the Nets seemed almost like a sideshow. I will admit to going to see the "Nets", while really wanting to see some of the other great teams in the NBA at the time. The 1995 Houston Rockets. The 72-10 Chicago Bulls, with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Tony Kukoc, Ron Harper, Steve Kerr, and legendary coach Phil Jackson. The Orlando Magic, who were seemingly a hot young team on the rise at the time. The Charlotte Hornets, who also seemed to be a hot young team on the rise at the time. The Indiana Pacers (a couple of times) with Reggie Miller and Rik Smits). The New York Knicks, with Patrick Ewing and John Starks, behind legendary coach Pat Riley. The Los Angeles Lakers in 1998, with a very young Kobe Bryant, as well as star center Shaquille O'Neal. I saw the Houston Rockets with Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Clyde Drexler. The San Antonio Spurs, with David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Quite a few others, that are not springing immediately to mind at the moment.

But you get the point. I was a fan of the Nets, but chose to go to the games where the other team often was the big draw - and it often seemed like the visiting team was more popular than the home team.

The Nets began to truly reverse their fortunes in the early 2000's, and became not just a legitimate playoff contender, but a legitimate championship contender. They acquired Jason Kidd, and had gotten some key talent in players such as Martin and Kittles, Van Horn and Jefferson. They themselves became the big draw, and made it to two consecutive NBA Finals, losing both times, the first being swept by the Lakers in 2002, and the next time, losing more respectably to the Spurs in 2003. I began to go to a lot of Nets games, but this time, there was a different feel. The Nets were starting to truly feel like New Jersey's basketball team. A team to be proud of. In some respects, they were in the shadow of New Jersey's other team, because the New Jersey Devils not only made it numerous times to the Stanley Cup Finals, but they hoisted the Cup, the holy grail of professional hockey in North America, three times! I followed and went to games for both, and what a time it was for New Jersey sports! For the Nets, I saw some memorable games and teams, but the very best, by far, was Game 5 of the first round in the Eastern Conference playoffs of 2002. Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers, a back and forth game that was extremely well played by both sides. A deciding game, winner take all, that went to double overtime, before the Nets finally pulled it off, clinching their first playoff series in eighteen years! What a thrill! I saw a few playoff games, and some other great games, before and since. But that will probably remain forever the single greatest basketball game that I ever saw, let alone went to.

The Nets remained competitive for some years thereafter, but were not what they had been in '02 & '03. By 2009, Vince Carter and Jason Kidd had both departed, and the Nets were, once more, one of the worst teams in basketball.

These last few years, prior to this season, seemed to be the worst. The Nets were a horrible team, and there was instability to boot with not knowing exactly where they would be. Were they actually moving to Brooklyn and, if so, why all the delays? Would they become a contender again and, if so, how?

In the meantime, I went to games here and there, but like the nineties, mostly it was because of who they were playing. The 2008 Boston Celtics, eventual NBA Champions. The 2009 Los Angeles Lakers, eventual NBA Champions. The 2012 Miami Heat, eventual champions. In fact, last season, I went to a whole bunch of games. It was to be their last season in New Jersey, and some people were boycotting the team. Tickets were at incredible prices. I mean, I got tickets for a couple of games for what could only be considered pocket change! I think the cheapest were $1.45 per ticket. Once, I know, was to see the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the other time, to see the Washington Wizards. But I splurged and spent perhaps fifteen dollars on certain occasions and got to the lower level seating, the great quality seats a few times, to see teams like the Indiana Pacers and the Philadelphia 76ers. I saw the young and rising Los Angeles Clippers, and the eventual champs, the Miami Heat. Finally, the last home game for the New Jersey Nets, on April 23, 2012, against the Philadelphia 76ers, when a bunch of Nets greats from days past gathered to honor the New Jersey Nets one last time. Now, I will admit, a part of me felt like the move to Brooklyn was a betrayal. A part of me was curious to see the team in their new location, but a part of me thought about forgetting them. I went to all of those games, and took my son to see them several times, to experience professional basketball while it lasted in New Jersey. How could I not, with such cheap tickets? When will the chance ever again rise to get a pair of NBA tickets for less then three dollars total? Hell, I spent more on parking, and I knew where to get parking for the relative bargain price of $5! A night out, with parking and two tickets for a professional basketball game, all for less than $10? Why not?

They were not a good team last year, though, and they were not a serious contender even for an outside playoff spot.

But once again, they seem to have reversed their fortunes, and are a serious contender once again! This time, they have a shiny new location and arena, and results to match.

Getting back to the game itself that I attended this past Tuesday evening, versus the Hornets, was surprisingly close. The Nets always seemed on the verge of blowing it open, and making a double digit lead of ten or slightly more, into a much wider lead to make the game a laugher. But it never happened, and the Hornets played quite well, to keep within striking distance. Yet, whenever they were on a run and closed the margin, inevitably, the Nets themselves would respond, and once again, take a lead. Finally, in the closing minutes, the Nets took a commanding lead, and clinched the game.

It was not their best performance, surely. Yet, it was enough to get a win, and that is what the best teams manage to do - win on days when they are not playing their best.

Going home, it was obviously different than previous times. The drive took longer, and it was less familiar. This was the city, after all, and not suburban New Jersey.

Still, a part of me had to acknowledge that I was happy for those in Brooklyn, and on many levels, happy for the Nets, to see a brighter day than those in recent years.