Betting on Brooklyn: How to Define Culture
Editor’s Note: In the first article of the Betting on Brooklyn series, Ben Jacob explored how the Nets have gone all-in to make the two biggest basketball superstars in the city comfortable with their environment. This week, Ben and Max Perkins dive into the foundation of the Nets arrival in Brooklyn, and the team’s attempts to build a culture that represents the borough they belong to.
The word culture is mentioned routinely in team sports, often to define the reason behind a team’s winning ways, or in the best case scenario, how a dynasty is sustained. But culture doesn’t always have to be thought of as an internal factor for success; more and more, franchises are leaning into the culture of their cities to expand their fan bases. Through marketing efforts, impact in the community, and player’s initiatives, the Brooklyn Nets are attempting to establish their place in NYC and represent the city’s most defining qualities.
Ben Jacob: Since their move from New Jersey to Brooklyn in 2012, the team has been trying to establish their identity in a city that bleeds orange and blue. After nearly a decade in their new home, the franchise is attempting to establish what it means to the city it resides in. From the origins of Jay-Z being a prominent representative of the franchise as an owner to rolling out a Biggie Smalls inspired uniform during the 2018-2019 season, the Nets have tried their version of embracing the roots of Brooklyn and maximizing marketing efforts accordingly. Even as of last week, there were rumors of a jersey for the upcoming season inspired by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, who was born in Brooklyn. These moves to “tap into the culture” have been hit and miss. It will be telling to see what decisions the organization makes in this capacity now that the team has star power and will attract headlines from not only the New York media, but sports media at large.
Max Perkins: It has become increasingly apparent that the Nets have yet to fully find their culture. When fans could attend games at Barclays Center, you were likely to hear a Jay-Z reference or two over the sound system, and you might have been lucky enough to attend the game in their Biggie Coogi jerseys. All of these efforts to to tap into Brooklyn's “culture” may be somewhat effective on residents that are new to the area or those that are willing to overlook some of the corniness, but for native Brooklyn residents, the moves can come off more-so as pandering than anything. The Brooklyn that Jay-Z and Biggie rap about is a thing of the past; the attempts of “homegrown” jerseys such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Biggie may be beneficial for sales and generating some buzz, but for the younger generation of fans, it doesn’t exactly feel like it is meeting the needs of what that audience is interested in. Establishing culture by blasting “99 Problems” over the sound system just isn’t it. There is a deep well of culture that currently exists throughout the largest borough in New York City, and the franchise would benefit from digging deeper into what makes Brooklyn special outside of a few celebrities that were born there. The Nets have a great opportunity to embrace the melting pot of where they reside and tap into the culture a bit more organically.
MP: It’s important to take a step back and acknowledge how the construction of the Barclays Center impacted the surrounding community. In many ways, the area and the Nets arrival mirrors the changing scenery that has been a growing trend. The stretch of Atlantic Avenue was historically filled with working class faces, many being black families. When the new arena came, displacement and gentrification followed. The anticipation of the changes to the community was voiced strongly in 2012; for many in the area, the addition of Barclays Center represents an act of capitalist imposition. Nearby Barclays, residents quickly saw a change from small shops to retail chains, replacing the neighborhood feel to a shopping center. For all of the glitz and glam, the move represents a continuing shift where New York’s most under-represented no longer feel like this is the place they once knew growing up. The Nets organization would be wise to understand that while Brooklyn might be changing, the pulse and culture of the area still belongs to the residents that have called the borough their home for generations, not to the emerging hipster crowd. When someone hears “Brooklyn”, depending on who you ask, the borough can represent Jerk Chicken or Matcha Lattes. Sadly, there may be more people that associate the borough with the latter. For the Nets to be truly embraced by Brooklyn the way they desire to be, they will have to toe a very narrow line: one that is inviting and unique to implants while respecting and honoring Brooklyn’s legacy and those that have deep roots to the borough.
BJ: The apt comparison between the arrival of the Barclays Center and gentrification within the area is an aspect where the franchise does have to balance their approach in attracting fans. Over the course of this year, Barclays Center has become a central location for New Yorkers protesting acts of police brutality throughout the summer. It has been a central location for marches and prominent speakers from the community. The dichotomy between the location representing displacement for many and a unifying location for the Black Lives Matter movement is a representation of how the Barclays Center lacks a true identity thus far. Even more recently, the arena is being used as part of an initiative to get out the vote for the 2020 election (if you have not already made a plan to vote, click here for more information on how and where to do so).
BJ: The aspect that could play the biggest role going forward in defining culture are the players and their involvement in the community. The Nets are fortunate to have incredible leaders in this regard, with their two superstars being community-driven. Kevin Durant recently funded the construction of basketball courts in Brooklyn for the next generation of hoopers. Durant has also talked “injecting new energy into a city through basketball” and is using his platform to help the area he chose to spend this portion of his prime years in. Kyrie Irving has also gone above and beyond as a leader in the league advocating for social justice, as well as contributing to those that are in need. In March, Irving contributed over $300,000 and and donated 250,000 meals to those affected by the pandemic. He also committed $1.5 million to cover the salaries of WNBA players who opted out of the Wubble. The two outspoken superstars oftentimes catch flack in the media because of their personalities, but their impact in the community cannot be overlooked.
The team has a ways to go in determining what New Yorkers will think about when they first hear or see the words “Brooklyn Nets”. The choices that the organization makes over the next few years, with local and national attention being on the team more than ever before, will influence how culture is defined for the Little Brother franchise.